Western District of Washington
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Illegal Alien, Co-Leader of nationwide drug trafficking ring, who plotted to kill Centralia, Washington Police Officer, sentenced to 15 years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle –A 35-year-old Mexican national who was illegally residing in California was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 years in prison for her leadership role of a massive drug distribution ring, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Iris Adrianna Amador-Garcia of Bellflower, California, arranged for the distribution of pound quantities of methamphetamine, hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills and large quantities of heroin. She also laundered drug proceeds, possessed firearms, and distributed drugs as far away as New York, southeastern states, and Fiji. After one large load of drugs was seized during a traffic stop, Amador-Garcia hatched a plan to locate and kill the Centralia police officer who made the stop.
In ordering the 15-year sentence, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said, “Threats against law enforcement is a line in the sand that is completely unacceptable.”
“This criminal organization was well-organized, well-sourced, and well-connected. This defendant was prepared to take drastic measures to protect what she had built. She and her criminal associates were intercepted openly discussing killing an officer after a large shipment of drugs was seized,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Floyd. “I am grateful for the diligent work of law enforcement to keep that officer safe, and to take these dangerous traffickers off the street and shut down their pipeline of devastating narcotics.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that those who traffic fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other deadly drugs into our communities, and those who threaten violence against law enforcement, will be held accountable,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Amador-Garcia led a far-reaching criminal organization that distributed dangerous narcotics across the country while sourcing drugs from Mexico and seeking to retaliate against an officer who disrupted the operation. Through DEA’s Fentanyl Free America, we are working every day to disrupt the fentanyl supply chain, reduce the availability of these deadly drugs, and save American lives.”
According to records filed in the case, law enforcement identified the leaders of the drug trafficking ring as early as February 2020. Indictments were returned in the fall of 2021. The drug ring, headed by Amador-Garcia and Jose Alfredo Maldonado-Ramirez, distributed drugs widely: in Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Virginia. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized 9 pounds of methamphetamine in a traffic stop on May 16, 2020. Another 30 pounds of meth were seized in a stop on April 2, 2021, and 57 pounds of methamphetamine and 20,000 fentanyl pills were seized in a traffic stop on
September 28, 2021. Additionally, on August 17, 2021, law enforcement seized 19 pounds of methamphetamine that conspirators attempted to mail to Fiji.
During a search of the residence where Iris Amador-Garcia was living with her brother and two co-conspirators, agents seized a kilogram of fentanyl, 80,000 fentanyl pills, and 2 firearms. Eight additional firearms were seized at other search locations in Washington and California.
In asking for a 15-year sentence for Amador-Garcia, prosecutors noted that she was an equal leader of the ring along with Maldonado-Ramirez. “The nation-wide reach of this Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), led by Iris AMADOR-GARCIA and MALDONADO-RAMIREZ, sets it apart from most organizations prosecuted in this District. This DTO distributed dangerous drugs to all corners of the United States…. they distributed to several large redistributors in Washington, as well as others in the northeast (New York and Massachusetts), the southeast (Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, and Arkansas), and the Midwest (Illinois and Ohio). In addition, the DTO even expanded to distributing drugs internationally to Fiji. The majority of drugs they were selling, both in Washington and elsewhere, were coming from Iris AMADOR-GARCIA’s family in Mexico.”
“Ms. Amador-Garcia and her organization distributed incredibly large amounts of deadly drugs to all corners of the country. Not only did she deal drugs, she also inflicted violence on our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners are committed to making our streets safer as we continue to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking organizations like Ms. Amador-Garcia’s.”
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Seattle Field Division (SFD) Tacoma Resident Office (TRO) and Bremerton Police Department (BPD), with assistance from Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement (TNET); the Seattle, Puyallup, Auburn, Federal Way, Kent, Bonney Lake, Tacoma, and Lakewood Police Departments; the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office; Washington State Department of Corrections; Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET): Centralia and Chehalis Police Departments; Valley Narcotics Enforcement Team (VNET); and Washington State Patrol; Thurston Narcotics Team (TNT), Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, and Mason County Sheriff’s Office; United States Postal Inspections Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) with support from Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas ( HIDTA).
Auburn, Washington, man sentenced to more than four years in prison for racially motivated attack on Metro bus passengerRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 25-year-old Auburn, Washington, man was sentenced today for a federal hate crime for violently assaulting and stabbing a Black female passenger because of her race, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Adan Hernandez-Mayoral was sentenced to 54 months in prison for an incident in which he used a dangerous weapon, a knife, to cause bodily injury to the Victim and he did so because of her race. “The facts of what happened on that bus are despicable,” said U.S. District Judge James L. Robart. “It was a prolonged intentional assault on a Black woman…. We need to protect the public from this defendant.”
“Racially motivated attacks such as this one shock the conscience of our community,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This office will join with our state and local partners to ensure these crimes are investigated and those who commit them will be held accountable. Such hate has no place here.”
“Today, we have delivered justice with the sentencing of Adan Hernandez-Mayoral for his brutal, racially motivated attack on the victim,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Assaults like these destroy our communities by breeding fear and distrust of public places and facilities. The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute such cases to restore safety and confidence in our cities’ streets and transit systems.”
According to court documents, Adan C. Hernandez-Mayoral boarded a King County Metro bus on March 7, 2024, and immediately began making racist comments about Black people. Hernandez-Mayoral started antagonizing the Victim, a Black woman, and yelled, “I don’t like Black people, f***in’ hate ’em.” The defendant continued to yell racist remarks at the Victim referring to the woman as “Rosa Parks” and telling her to move to the back of the bus. When the woman attempted to move away from him, Hernandez-Mayoral followed her, while hiding a knife behind his back. When the bus doors opened at a stop, Hernandez-Mayoral grabbed the woman, pushing her off the bus and into a fence. He immediately began beating her all over her body and, after she fell to the ground, stomping on her. He then used the knife to repeatedly and violently stab the woman, whose thick coat spared her from suffering serious injuries from Hernandez-Mayoral’s attack. Hernandez-Mayoral fled the scene but was located and arrested by officers from the Kent Police Department later that evening.
“This was a horrific and deeply disturbing racially motivated assault that targeted an innocent member of our community because of the color of her skin. I am pleased to have reached this conviction on her behalf. Hate-fueled violence has no place in Kent,” said Chief Rafael Padilla of the Kent Police Department. “I want to commend the Kent Police Officers and Detectives whose swift response, thorough investigation, and unwavering commitment to justice led to the arrest of the offender and laid the foundation for this successful prosecution. Their professionalism and dedication ensured that this case received the attention and resources it deserved. I also want to express my sincere appreciation to the FBI, Seattle Office, the King County Prosecutor’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office, for their outstanding partnership throughout this case. This outcome reinforces the importance of strong partnerships between local and federal law enforcement in our shared mission of to protect our communities and hold violent offenders accountable.”
“The victim in this case was minding her own business on a familiar public transit route when a stranger made offensive comments about her race, threw her off the stopped bus, and then brutally assaulted her with a knife,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Together with our partners such as the Kent Police Department, the FBI will hold accountable those like Mr. Hernandez-Mayoral who engage in violent hate crimes.”
On December 23, 2025, Hernandez-Mayoral pleaded guilty to Hate Crime Causing Bodily Injury, admitting that he used a dangerous weapon, a knife, to cause bodily injury to the Victim and he did so because of her race and color.
Restitution to the victim will be determined at a later date.
The case was investigated by the Kent Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Manca for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, with valuable assistance from the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Kent, Washington, man convicted of 17 felonies related to string of armed dispensary and bank robberies following three-week trialRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 26-year-old Kent, Washington man was convicted late yesterday of 17 federal felonies connected to the robbery crew he led in armed robberies of marijuana dispensaries, banks, and credit unions, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Shannon Hartfield recruited, supplied, and managed a team of young people – often juveniles – who went on a robbery spree throughout the Puget Sound region between December 2021 and June 2022. The jury deliberated about three days following the weeks long jury trial. U.S. District Judge Lauren King scheduled sentencing for August 25, 2026.
In the conspiracy, Hartfield took on a managerial role when carrying out the robberies. He recruited others to join his robbery team – often using juveniles, some as young as 14-years old. He recruited over social media and text messages. Hartfield and co-conspirators picked the robbery targets, gave robbers firearms to use, and provided cars the robbery crew used to flee the scenes – often at high rates of speed.
On February 17, 2022, Hartfield and his team robbed Kushman and Have a Heart dispensaries in Snohomish County. On March 11, 2022, Hartfield supervised the robberies of Lucid Cannabis in Auburn and West Seattle Dispensary. On April 18, 2022, Hartfield and the
robbery crew targeted Forbidden Cannabis in Lacy.
In May 2022 after Hartfield and some members of his robbery crew had been arrested and questioned by police in connection with the dispensary robberies, Hartfield decided to target credit unions and banks. On May 26, 2022, a robbery crew hit two credit unions: Seattle Credit Union and Sound Credit Union. On June 7, 2022, the coconspirators failed in an attempt to rob a Chase Bank branch at gunpoint. The group then moved on to rob a Salal Credit Union, holding the victim tellers at gunpoint. Finally, on June 17, 2022, they robbed a Chase Bank branch in Kent and were arrested shortly after by law enforcement. Hartfield has been in custody since that time.
In closing arguments Assistant United States Attorney Kristine Foerster described Hartfield’s role in this string of violent robberies saying, “Shannon Hartfield saw robbery as a team sport - he helped recruit the players, he directed the plays, he supplied equipment, shared in the winnings and now he is legally responsible for the actions of his team.”
Hartfield was convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery, five counts of robbery, three counts of bank robbery, one count of armed bank robbery, one count of attempted armed bank robbery and six counts of using a firearm in a crime of violence. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on three counts of robbery and three counts of use of a firearm in a crime of violence.
Each of the robbery counts is punishable by up to twenty years in custody. The armed bank robbery is punishable by up to twenty-five years in custody. Using a firearm in a crime of violence is punishable by a mandatory minimum seven years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed in the case. At sentencing Hartfield faces a mandatory minimum 45 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI with significant assistance from Seattle Police Department, Snohomish County Sherriff’s Office, Bothell Police Department, Lacey Police Department, Tukwila Police Department, Tacoma Police Department, Kent Police Department, King County Sherriff’s Office, and Auburn Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristine Foerster and Amanda McDowell.
Court exhibit Court exhibitArmed Kent, Washington, drug trafficker sentenced to six years in prison for role in a family-led drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 33-year-old Kent, Washington, resident who evidence shows participated in a drug trafficking conspiracy while armed with firearms, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six years in prison for drug trafficking, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Treyvon Mitchell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in March 2026. Mitchell was identified as a member of the Jackson Family Drug Trafficking Organization that was indicted with 14 arrests in October 2024. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said, “You were part of a conspiracy to distribute drugs across state lines and you were armed while doing it…fentanyl is already deadly on its own. People died here. Three people died in one day on the Lummi reservation from fentanyl that this conspiracy was pumping into that community…that was the business you were in. And the guns made it worse.”
“This wire-tap investigation revealed Mr. Mitchell and alleged drug trafficking leader Marquise Jackson discussing their drug distribution conspiracy as well as sex trafficking activity,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. “Equally disturbing, a gun seized in a search of Mitchell’s home has been tied to three different Seattle shootings. This sentence is needed to protect the public.”
According to records filed in the case, Mitchell was identified as a co-conspirator in the Jackson Family drug distribution ring. Mitchell was a high-level member of the group which distributed more than 800,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States, including in Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Montana, and Georgia. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 7 kilograms of cocaine and 29 firearms. They also seized more than $116,000 in cash.
In October 2024, the home Mitchell shared with his mother was searched by law enforcement. Four firearms were recovered as well as cocaine, fentanyl pills, marijuana and other drugs. One of the firearms has been linked to shell casings found at the
scenes of three Seattle-area shootings: a June 2021 shooting that left two injured near an elementary school in central Seattle; a September 2021 shooting in Burien where Mitchell’s mother’s ex-boyfriend was pistol-whipped and his car was shot up; and a July 2022 shooting outside a bar in Renton.
Both Mitchell and Marquise Jackson are known members of the street gang 44 Holly Crips. Mitchell denies belonging to the street gang, but his text messages as well as assorted jewelry seized in the case indicate he is a member. Mitchell’s gold chains, seized by law enforcement as proceeds of crime, are adorned with a large diamond encrusted gold “44” and other symbols tied to his street name “Makin Money Mitch.”
Evidence in the case indicates that Mitchell’s criminal association with the Jackson drug trafficking organization dates back to December 2020 and that he began working as a drug distributor no later than January 2023. Mitchell was indicted in April 2025.
In asking for an 87-month prison sentence prosecutors wrote to the court that Mitchell was no mere pawn in the drug conspiracy saying, “Mitchell also participated in the planning and organizing of the criminal activity and exercised decision-making authority over his drugs. Intercepted texts from Mitchell’s phone show him plotting with other co-conspirators to obtain a supplier of fentanyl pills, agreeing to profit sharing, and determining the price he would sell the pill drugs for.”
“Mr. Mitchell was a trusted associate of the leadership of this drug trafficking organization, helping to distribute huge amounts of fentanyl across the United States,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Let this sentence send a message that the FBI and our partners are committed to removing highly dangerous and addictive drugs from our communities and combatting the violent crime that so often accompanies it.”
“Fentanyl trafficking and gun violence go hand in hand, and this case demonstrates the devastating impact these criminal organizations have on our communities,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This defendant helped fuel a conspiracy responsible for distributing hundreds of thousands of deadly fentanyl pills and possessing a firearm tied to multiple shootings. DEA’s Fentanyl Free America focuses on disrupting these violent trafficking networks, reducing the availability of fentanyl, and saving American lives. Through strong partnerships with federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement, we are making our communities safer.”
These investigations and prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, (Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta, Kansas City, Dallas, Las Vegas, Montana), DEA (Seattle, Kansas City, Wichita, Montana), the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, the Lummi Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and United States Border Patrol Blaine Sector Targeting and Intelligence Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Crystal Correa, and Michael Harder.
Justice Department Notifies Washington of Investigation into Whether Housing Biological Men in Women’s Prison Violates ConstitutionRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department notified Washington Governor Bob Ferguson of the initiation of a federal investigation into Washington’s practice of housing men in its women’s prison. The Justice Department will investigate whether Washington engages in a pattern or practice of violating the constitutional rights of female prisoners incarcerated at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) in Gig Harbor, Washington.
“Under my leadership, the Civil Rights Division will not allow women incarcerated in jails or prisons to be subject to unconstitutional risks of harm from male inmates,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “The constitutional rights of women cannot be sacrificed at the altar of appeasing unsupported and dangerous ideologies.”
“Washington State must protect women inmates from the inherent dangers of incarcerating them with biological men” said Interim U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington. “Our Constitution protects the civil rights of every American, including woman who are in prison and forced by the State of Washington to live with male inmates.”
The Justice Department will investigate allegations of deprivation of female prisoners’ Eighth Amendment protections from cruel and unusual punishment, including Washington’s response to allegations of sexual assaults, rape, voyeurism, and sexual intimidation based on WCCW’s housing of male prisoners in the exclusively female facility.
The Department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The Department will investigate WCCW pursuant to its authority to enforce the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA). Under CRIPA, the Department has the authority to investigate violations of prisoners’ constitutional rights that result from a “pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of such rights.” The Department has conducted CRIPA investigations of many correctional systems, and where violations have been found, the resulting settlement agreements have led to important reforms.
Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Department via www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/. The Department is also collecting information on men housed in women’s jails and prisons anywhere in the country. Individuals can reach the National Initiative Examining the Housing of Biological Men in Women’s Prisons at (202) 616-5939 or [email protected]. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Jamaican national sentenced to prison for lottery scam that devastated southwest Washington retireeRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A Jamaican citizen was sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to three years in prison for wire fraud for his lottery scheme that cost an elderly victim more than $600,000, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Roshard Andrew Carty, 34, was arrested in Jamaica on August 21, 2025, and arrived in the Western District of Washington for arraignment on October 23, 2025. He pleaded guilty in February 2026. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright said, “Even as (the victim) hesitated and tried to resist,” Carty persisted in contacting her through a variety of means.
“This defendant was relentless in defrauding a vulnerable victim,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “At every turn when she tried to end the contact, he persisted playing on her isolation and her fear of losing the money she had already lost. He stole the money she was counting on to survive in retirement, so that he could buy luxuries and live large in Jamacia. It is despicable conduct deserving of this punishment.”
According to records filed in the case, Carty first contacted the 73-year-old southwest Washington victim in 2020. He posed as an employee of Publisher’s Clearinghouse and claimed the victim won $22 million and a car in the lottery, but that she needed to pay taxes and fees to access her winnings. He convinced the victim that the FBI was recording the call and told her she was not to tell anyone about the big win. Between August 2020 and February 2024, he convinced the victim to send more than $600,000 to various money couriers throughout the United States, who ultimately sent the money to Carty in Jamaica.
Carty’s requests for cash started small and grew over time. He directed the victim to remove small amounts of cash from her accounts and send them to U.S. locations via FedEx. Carty told the victim the money was lost or stolen and demanded more. Carty told the victim to borrow against her home so she could send more money. Carty convinced the victim to sell her home to cover additional “costs and fees” to claim her prize. In all, Carty stole more than $600,000 from the victim by having her mail the money to various couriers in the U.S.
Carty was relentless in contacting the victim using various phone numbers and texting programs. He contacted her thousands of times throughout the fraud. When she tried to cut off contact, he tried sending tow trucks, and pizza deliveries, and asked her landlord for a welfare check to try to get back in touch with the victim.
“Mr. Carty relentlessly and cruelly manipulated and intimidated his elderly victim to deprive her of her life savings for his own profit," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "His lies in pursuit of her money even went so far as to abuse the trust and credibility of law enforcement by claiming the FBI was recording a call. Ultimately, the victim lost her home without receiving any of the fictitious prize money Mr. Carty had promised. We hope this case sends a message to would-be lottery scammers that the FBI will work just as relentlessly with our partners to hold fraudsters accountable, even when they reside beyond the borders of the United States.”
The southwest Washington victim was not the only one uncovered by law enforcement, and investigators fear Carty may return to fraud after his prison term. As the government pointed out in its sentencing memorandum, “Carty’s conduct here shows he is relentless, callous, and has an aptitude for deception—he is unlikely to be deterred by the reality that his conduct left people like Victim 1 destitute. Carty knew Victim 1, Victim 2, and likely others were insolvent because of him, and yet he persisted in his scam. And unlike with U.S.-based defendants, the U.S. Probation Office cannot effectively monitor Carty when he returns home.”
Carty was indicted in November 2024. Following his August 2025 arrest in Jamaica, Carty consented to extradition to the United States. He pleaded guilty in February 2026.
The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica has a page devoted to lottery scams based in that country. Find it here. The bottom line: You never should pay to receive a prize and any request for advance fees is a scam.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Watts Staniar and David T. Martin. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Jamaica to secure the arrest and extradition of Carty.
Former Seattle area real estate broker sentenced to prison for fraud on investors and the IRSRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former real estate professional who operated a real estate investment fund was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 55 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and tax fraud, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Tamara King, aka Tamara Waln, 56, of Toledo, Ohio, previously resided in Bellevue and Kirkland, Washington. King was convicted in December 2025 following an 8-day jury trial. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez noted that King refuses to accept responsibility for her actions saying, “King testified falsely, she deliberately lied on the witness stand… She was the primary instigator of this fraud… for the most base motivation of all: pure greed.”
“This defendant stole from those who invested not just their money, but their dreams of a secure retirement,” said First Assistant Neil Floyd. “To this day she tries to blame others for her conduct that resulted in convictions for 14 federal felonies. This significant prison time should send a message to other fraudsters that we will investigate and hold defendants accountable.”
“For a decade, investors thought they were prudently saving their hard-earned money for retirement through a real estate fund operated by King and her husband," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "Instead, Ms. King drained the account to fund her lavish lifestyle. The FBI and our partners will carefully follow the money to ensure fraudsters are held accountable for their greed and the damage it causes.”
According to records filed in the case, between August 2009 and December 2013, King’s now ex-husband and co-conspirator Paul Waln, 60, solicited investments in a real estate fund called Halcyon. Twenty-two victims, most of whom were Seattle residents, invested $2.25 million in the fund. Waln told investors their funds would be pooled to purchase and renovate an apartment building in West Seattle and then used for other real estate projects. Investors were required to leave their money in the investment pool for ten years. Waln said that at the end of the 10-year period, Waln would return the investment principal and earnings, which he estimated amount to a 20 percent annual return. Waln was entitled to receive a 1% fee for managing the investment fund.
In 2013, Waln married King, who was also a real estate agent. Waln and King then jointly managed the investment fund. Between February 2014 and December 2018, they conspired to misappropriate money from the fund to pay their personal expenses. The pair secretly transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time from the fund to their management company and then transferred the money to King’s personal accounts. Much of that money went to purchase big-ticket luxury items, and she purchased nearly all of those big-ticket items for herself, not Paul Waln.
For example, King financed the purchase of an early edition, Model X Tesla with customized pink trim for $121,950, and purchased a $49,300, 8.5 carat diamond ring. King used another $189,775 to pay back a personal tax debt. King employed her own personal assistant between May 2016 and 2019.
Waln and King were required to distribute the investment funds to investors in 2019. But in October 2019, King informed the investors that all the money was gone, and the investment had failed. All the remaining investors lost their entire investments.
Victims of the fraud described to the court how King’s theft impacted their lives: forcing them to delay retirements, stress over the cost of care for disabled spouses, and made them ashamed that they had been deceived. One wrote, “Tamara King stole that money and had cosmetic procedures. She stole that money and bought a car much nicer than we ever had. She stole that money and lived in a home twice as large as we’ve ever been able to afford. She stole that money and paid her credit card bills from a very extravagant lifestyle. We don’t believe for one minute that she is remorseful or that she will not do it again. Her arrogance and callous, self-centered nature enable her to believe she can get away with anything.”
King also failed to report over $1.6 million in income over three tax years. For those three tax years, King reported $188,116 in total income, when she actually received $1.85 million. The tax loss to the U.S. is $551,758.
"Without considering the harm inflicted on her victims, Ms. King fraudulently spent investor funds to support her lavish lifestyle instead of funding the promised real estate projects," said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “IRS-CI is committed to protecting our communities from the devastating effects of financial crime, and we will continue to bring criminals and fraudsters like Ms. King to justice.”
The jury convicted King of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering, and three counts of filing a false tax return.
King’s co-defendant Paul Waln, 60, now of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty to the wire fraud conspiracy in June 2025 and was sentenced to 33 months in prison on October 31, 2025.
In asking for a 92-month sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “She showed an utter lack of respect for the law by giving false, and indeed incredible, testimony to the jury for hours. The sentence must be sufficient to deter others from giving false testimony, and also to promote respect for the law by showing there are severe consequences for lying on the stand.”
King will be on three years of supervised release following her prison term. Judge Martinez scheduled a hearing on July 24, 2026, to determine restitution and forfeiture of assets.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Seth Wilkinson, Cindy Chang, and Jehiel Baer.
Federal arrests shut down alien smuggling scheme at the western edge of the U.S. Border with CanadaRead the Press Release
Tacoma – Two residents of British Columbia, Canada appeared in U.S. District Court in Tacoma yesterday afternoon charged in connection with their scheme to smuggle Vietnamese citizens from Canada into the U.S., announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Van Phuong Vu, 28, of Vancouver, and Johnny Huynh, 36, of Burnaby, Canada, are charged with conspiracy to transport certain aliens for private financial gain. The men were arrested near the Bellingham Airport last week with eight Vietnamese nationals who had illegally crossed into the U.S. from Canada on Point Roberts and then flown from the Point Roberts airport to Bellingham.
“I commend the U.S. Border Patrol for their quick and diligent work in this case,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “An early morning alert of border crossing at the beach led to the apprehension of eight illegal aliens and charges against those who sought to profit from the smuggling event.”
According to the criminal complaint, on May 5, 2026, at about 8:30 in the morning, U.S. Border patrol was made aware of people crossing the border between Canada and the small enclave of Point Roberts. The group of people was crossing the border at the beach. Point Roberts is a peninsula of Washington state accessible by land only through British Columbia, Canada. From Point Roberts, the only direct way to the mainland U.S. is via plane or boat.
Around 10 AM, Border Patrol Agents at Bellingham Airport found the group of people that they suspected crossed the border at Point Roberts earlier that morning. Border Patrol Agents observed the group, accompanied by Huynh, exit the charter flight terminal and walk toward a nearby hotel, where they were intercepted. Border Patrol Agents learned that a second flight with additional travelers accompanied by Vu would be arriving soon and later intercepted that group near the airport. Border Patrol Agents ultimately determined a total of eight Vietnamese nationals had entered the U.S. without inspection. Some of the Vietnamese nationals told law enforcement they had agreed to pay between $13,000 and $15,000 to be smuggled into the U.S.
Vu, a Vietnamese citizen who is a lawful permanent resident of Canada, and Huynh, a Canadian citizen, are charged with the scheme to smuggle the aliens into the U.S. Some of the Vietnamese nationals communicated with the smuggling group via social media and were instructed to pay the smuggling fees when they arrived at their final destinations in the U.S., including New York or Tennessee.
Conspiracy to transport certain aliens for private financial gain is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by United States Border Patrol (USBP) Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Pecaro.
South Puget Sound former financial advisor sentenced to three years in prison for stealing nearly $1 million from elderly clientRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 57-year-old Fox Island, Washington, man was sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to three years in prison for his scheme to steal from an elderly client who trusted him as a financial advisor, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. John S. Winslow was indicted just over a year ago on four counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, four counts of money laundering, and four counts of making and subscribing a false tax return. Winslow was a financial advisor at a national financial services firm until he was fired following revelations he had stolen over $920,000 in life savings and inheritance from a former client, a widow in her 70’s. “This crime was personal,” U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright. “Mr. Winslow had a longstanding relationship with this victim.”
“Over about four years, this defendant stole more than $900,000 from an elderly victim. First, he ingratiated himself with the victim. He took her grocery shopping and bought her flowers and chocolate. Then, he took advantage of her trust, her cognitive decline and isolation,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “He used the victim’s funds to live with luxuries – buying an island home, installing a hot tub, and purchasing a new car. All the while, the victim scrimped and lived on a limited budget. This prison sentence holds him accountable.”
“Lies, deceit, and fraud are not things that should be associated with any financial advisor trusted to protect a client’s hard-earned money. However, Mr. Winslow chose exactly these things when he callously stole from his client,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “IRS-CI will continue to pursue justice against those who choose to commit such financial crimes.”
According to records in the case, Winslow moved funds out of the victim’s brokerage accounts with the financial services firm and into her outside bank account in multiple transactions. He did this to conceal his fraud by placing the victim’s funds outside of the firm’s surveillance system. From the victim’s outside bank account, the funds were transferred into Winslow’s bank account, again in multiple transactions. Winslow used his trusted status with the victim to further the fraud. He falsely claimed to the victim that if she transferred money to him, he would repay her at a higher interest rate than what she was getting from her banks. He visited the victim at her home and instructed the victim to call the bank and put the call on speaker. He then told the victim what she should tell the bank. Winslow then used the victim’s funds for his own benefit.
To hide the illicit nature of the funds, Winslow funneled the victim’s funds through extra layers of transactions. For example, Winslow purchased gold coins from an online gold retailer in multiple transactions. He then sold those gold coins to two local brick-and-mortar gold retailers before depositing the proceeds into his bank account.
With each of these transactions, Winslow made the decision to steal from the victim. Prosecutors argued that such persistent and intentional fraud deserved a 70-month prison sentence. “Before each of these transactions, Winslow had the chance to stop and to ponder what he was doing to his victim. But he did not stop. He wanted the gravy train to keep on going. He kept at it even after his withdrawals from (the victim’s) accounts triggered an elderly fraud alert. And he meant to bleed (the victim) dry. The only thing that stopped him from taking more of (the victim’s) money was getting caught.”
During the fraud-scheme period, Winslow also failed to report the funds that he stole from the victim on his federal tax returns, resulting in a tax loss of approximately $254,000.
Judge Carwright ordered Winslow to pay $1,175,475 in restitution representing the theft from the victim as well as the tax loss to the U.S.
The victim sued the financial services firm, and they settled the suit for $920,483. So that amount of restitution is due to the financial services firm. Unfortunately, the victim had to pay attorney fees of nearly $321,000 to obtain the settlement and so still suffered financial loss.
Winslow has agreed to forfeit his Fox Island home to help pay his restitution obligation.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yunah Chung and Lauren Staniar.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Registered sex offender sentenced to prison for possessing images of child sexual abuseRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 55-year-old Marysville man, who is a registered sex offender, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three years in prison for possession of images of child sexual abuse. Robert Anthony Fiore came to the attention of law enforcement when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cybertip report from Dropbox that child sexual abuse material had been uploaded on Fiore’s account. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, “Possession of images of child sexual abuse harms the child for life…. Victims are given a life sentence by the people who buy these videos.”
“My office is committed to protecting the public from predators. This prison sentence will help, said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This defendant was actively communicating with teens as young as twelve over the internet. It’s a good reminder for parents and guardians to be vigilant about who their children communicate with online.”
Law enforcement obtained warrants and served search warrants on Fiore’s electronic devices finding 50 videos and 242 images of child sexual abuse. Fiore has sex crime convictions out of California. He pleaded guilty in federal court on November 21, 2025. In his plea agreement Fiore admitted that he was chatting online with more than a dozen minors as young as 12-years-old.
“Mr. Fiore clearly did not learn his lesson from his last offense," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "Despite already being registered as a sex offender, he continued to prey on young victims online. Each one of the dozens of videos and hundreds of images of child sexual abuse on Mr. Fiore’s devices contributes to the trauma and suffering of an innocent young victim. We hope this case sends a message to would-be predators that there are consequences for their actions. Law enforcement will discover their conduct and hold them accountable.”
In asking for the three-year prison sentence, prosecutors noted the harm done by child sexual abuse images. “Those who collect and share images and videos of children being raped and tortured further a market that thrives on the sexual abuse of children. The collection of this material drives demand for new material and normalizes horrific acts of sexual exploitation. And it subjects victims of child abuse to perpetual re-victimization, knowing that the digital record of their worst moments forever travels the globe to satisfy the sexual appetite of child predators,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .
The case was investigated by the FBI in coordination with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) with officers from the Seattle Police Department and Marysville Police Department, and the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC).
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
Kent, Washington, man indicted for production and possession of child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 32-year-old Kent, Washington man who was identified by law enforcement after he sought to entice a young girl to send him sexually explicit images, was arraigned on the seven-count indictment today in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Mordien Kan Thach pleaded not guilty to three counts of production of child pornography, attempted enticement of a minor, possession of child pornography, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and unlawful possession of firearms. Trial is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Tana Lin on July 6, 2026.
“This case is part of Iron Pursuit, a one-month, nationwide enforcement surge to find child victims of sex abuse and arrest child sex predators,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “In April 2026, more than 200 child victims were located and over 350 child sexual abuse offenders were arrested. In this Western Washington case, four victims were identified, and the investigation remains ongoing. If you abuse children, we will find you.”
According to records filed in the case, in August 2025, the FBI in Wisconsin was contacted by a young teen about an adult who had sent and requested sexually explicit images. Ultimately the adult was identified as Thach, and law enforcement obtained a court authorized search warrant for Thach’s residence in late January 2026.
In the search, law enforcement seized dealer quantities of cocaine, and ketamine as well as numerous firearms – two of which were reported stolen. On Thach’s electronic devices were images of child sexual abuse created by Thach with young teens he met via the internet. Two of the teens reside in Western Washington and a third resides in North Dakota.
Thach remains detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac.
Production of child pornography is punishable by a mandatory minimum fifteen years in prison and up to 30 years in prison. Attempted enticement of a minor is punishable by a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison and up to life in prison. Possession of Child pornography is punishable by up to twenty years in prison. Possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute is punishable by up to twenty years in prison and unlawful possession of firearms is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI as part of Operation Iron Pursuit.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
Mercer Island man who was arrested with drugs and an arsenal including Glock “switches” and 3D printed guns sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 27-year-old Mercer Island, Washington resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking scheme that involved a large amount of drugs, hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit proceeds, and a stockpile of firearms, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Michael Janisch pleaded guilty on January 20, 2026, to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, “The involvement of firearms (with the drugs) compounds the risk to the community.”
“This case demonstrates that even those from an advantaged background can be lured into the drug trade and the gun violence that goes with it,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This defendant used social media and his suburban rental house to prepare drug shipments that he mailed to drug customers across the country. Janisch engaged in his drug trafficking while armed with an arsenal of more than thirty weapons, Glock switches (used to convert Glock-style firearms to fire automatically), and scores of high-capacity magazines, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.”
According to records filed in the case, Michael Janisch was arrested along with 13 other people in October 2024, following a yearslong investigation. Text messages obtained from Janisch’s Snapchat account reflected Janisch and associate Bryce Hill discussing how much money each was making in the drug trade. Hill was arrested on an indictment out of the Western District of Pennsylvania the day after those communications, and is now serving a 35 year sentence for drug trafficking.
Despite being aware of that arrest, Janisch continued his drug dealing.
Various communications via Snapchat detail his trafficking in cocaine, MDMA and firearms. Even as his coconspirator Amir “Lethal” Osman was gunned down outside a drug house in the University District of Seattle on June 24, 2024, Janisch continued his drug trafficking. Janisch seemed comfortable with drug related violence. In Snapchat text messages he sought firearms from his drug contacts and even attempted to hire someone to conduct a “hit” on a former drug distributor in another state.
When Janisch was arrested on October 30, 2024, his home contained more than 4 kilos of cocaine, 60 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms and/or marijuana, as well as dealer amounts of MDMA, ketamine, and LSD. Stored near the drugs were 30 firearms: assault-type semiautomatic weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition, firearm suppressors, and numerous Glock “switches,” used to convert a semiautomatic Glock-style handgun into a machine pistol.
Defense counsel argued that Janisch had firearms because he was a “collector.” Judge Chun countered, “I find these dangerous weapons alarming…. If he’s just a collector, why did he need the thousands of rounds of ammunition?”
A room used as an office at the home appeared to have all the equipment for mailing drug packages across the country.
In asking for an eight-year sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Janisch engaged in the trafficking of MDMA, ketamine, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and marijuana on such a scale that it netted him hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds…. Janisch’s scheme was more sophisticated than many as he largely took drug orders via social media, packaged the drugs for shipment at his house, and coopted the U.S. mail service, and other parcel services, to deliver his product. Plus, Janisch did not just traffic drugs. He did so while possessing an arsenal of semiautomatic rifles and pistols…”
Judge Chun ordered three years of supervised release to follow the prison term.
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with significant participation by Seattle Police Department (SPD), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington State Patrol (WSP), FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bellevue Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Everett Police Department, Renton Police Department, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Washington State National Guard, Washington State Gambling Commission, Yakima County Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D) Narcotics and Gang Task Force, and Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Jensen and Joseph Silvio.
Two men charged in West Seattle drug rip-off that ended in homicideRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two men who traveled to Seattle from Texas to rob a marijuana dealer in November 2022, were indicted this week by the federal grand jury for additional federal felonies connected to the robbery and fatal shooting in West Seattle, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Carlton Pierre Mitchell, 30, and Aaron Thompson, 42, will be arraigned on the superseding indictment on May 7, 2026. The men are charged with conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and crime of violence.
A third defendant, Samuel Solomon, was charged by Superseding Information with conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, conspiracy to commit robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. Solomon pleaded guilty to these crimes on April 27, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison when sentenced.
According to records filed in the case, on November 2, 2022, Mitchell, Thompson, and Solomon, flew into Portland, Oregon, with a plan to rob the victim who had previously sold Solomon and Mitchell marijuana. The men rented cars and drove up to West Seattle where Mitchell had arranged for an Airbnb rental. At the Airbnb, all three men were armed with handguns. Thompson hid in one of the bedrooms so that the victim would not know he was there.
During the marijuana deal, Thompson came out of the bedroom with a firearm and told the victim not to move. Shots were fired and the victim was fatally injured. Solomon fled the house and caught a flight home. Mitchell and Thompson took the victim’s marijuana, fled the house, and drove home.
Seattle Police responded to 911 calls about the gunshots and found the victim lying injured and alone inside the Airbnb. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Solomon, Thompson, and Mitchell were originally indicted on March 12, 2025. Solomon and Thompson were arrested in March 2025. Mitchell made his initial appearance on the original indictment in September 2025.
Conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute and conspiracy to commit robbery are both punishable by up to five years in prison. Robbery is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Because the firearm was discharged, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking or a crime of violence is punishable by a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the FBI, with valuable assistance provided by the Washington State Patrol Crime Laboratory.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Todd Greenberg and Jessica Manca.
Two Seattle men charged in separate indictments for sex trafficking conspiracy involving adults and teensRead the Press Release
Seattle – A leader of a Seattle street gang and one of his co-conspirators are now both federally indicted for using force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion to commit sex trafficking, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Leanthony Palmer, 34, was indicted last October, and a superseding indictment was returned this week adding additional charges. Branden Barnett, 38, has been in state custody since November 24, 2025, and was indicted federally this week for six counts related to trafficking both adults and minor victims.
“These men exploited vulnerable women for their own financial gain,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “They used their power – physical, psychological, and economic -- to subject these victims to modern day slavery. We are determined to obtain justice and ensure the safety of these victims and all members of our community.”
According to the superseding indictment returned by the grand jury, Leanthony Palmer used force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to sex traffic at least three different adult victims and engaged in a conspiracy to transport them in Washington, Alaska, Oregon, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevado, Massachusetts, Montana, Minnesota, Texas, and other foreign countries to engage in commercial sex acts. The nine-count indictment also charges Palmer with conspiracy to commit money laundering for his use of the proceeds of his sex trafficking scheme.
Branden Barnett is charged in a six-count indictment with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking through force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion; sex trafficking an adult female through force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion; conspiracy to transport an adult victim for purposes of prostitution; transporting an adult female for prostitution through coercion and enticement; and two counts of attempted sex trafficking of a minor.
Both indictments describe how the men kept their victims under their control by using violence or threats of violence, providing or denying drugs, and providing or withholding food and shelter. The indictment alleges women were “purchased” by one trafficker from another, and that the men used “off the books” rooms at a SeaTac motel to keep the women isolated or for them to perform sex dates. The men set the rules of what the women were to charge for sex acts, to whom they could speak and how to turn over the entirety of their earnings to the trafficker. The men transported the women to Aurora Avenue North in Seattle and other locations for the sex workers to contact potential sex buyers. The men obtained fraudulent identification documents for their victims so that they could more easily travel and avoid detection by law enforcement. The men used the false identities to obtain rental properties and rental cars that were further used in the sex trafficking scheme.
“This work done by SeaTac Police and our Street Crimes Unit is critically important to the safety of our community and to women who may fall victim to this kind of dangerous and depraved criminal activity,” said King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall. “These indictments and the arrest of Branden Barnett, shows painstaking, diligent work by a team dedicated to ensuring people like this are taken off the street. It also sends the message that abuse and exploitation will not be tolerated.”
“We appreciate the work of SeaTac Police for addressing human trafficking, which is a disturbing and far too prevalent crime,” King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said. “In addition to the work by federal prosecutors, there are also two co-defendants of Mr. Barnett charged by my office in Superior Court. While the details of these ongoing cases are difficult to hear, it is important to bring that information before a judge to seek clear accountability.”
“HSI plays an integral role in combating human trafficking by working with its law enforcement partners to deter, disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks that engage in it,” said acting HSI Seattle Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “In this case it was a Seattle street gang trafficking both adult and minor-aged victims to multiple states and even foreign countries. We will do everything we can to bring justice to human traffickers and bring a safe resolution to the victims.”
If convicted the men face mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years to life in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
The case is being investigated by the King County Sheriff’s Office, Seattle Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Whatcom Regional Drug Task Force.
The King Couty Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is working closely with federal prosecutors on the case. Senior Deputy Prosecutor Braelah McGinnis is working with Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Dillon and Kate Crisham on the case.
palmer_superseding_indictment.pdf barnett_indictment.pdfSecond violent ATM robber sentenced to nine years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 23-year-old Humble, Texas man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to nine years in prison for a string of violent bank robberies, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Ahmon Hogg pleaded guilty in February 2026 to four counts of bank robbery and two counts of attempted bank robbery for his role in a scheme to steal from banks by assaulting and threatening ATM technicians. Hogg’s partner in crime, Seth Daquan Coles-Body, 24, of Houston was sentenced earlier this month to ten years in prison. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “The offenses in this case showed sophistication, planning, and a modicum of violence. He needs to be held responsible for what he did.”
“These two young men will spend their 20’s in prison for their violent attacks driven by greed,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Each was involved in brutal beatings of ATM technicians, and neither slowed down when confronted by police. Their online celebrations of their cash hauls were premature -- now they are paying for their crimes with years of their lives.”
“Across just eight months, Mr. Hogg and his co-defendant targeted banks in five different states, badly injuring repair technicians and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “From our earliest days, the FBI has investigated bank robberies and interstate crimes. While the schemes may change, our commitment to relentlessly pursuing violent crime never will.”
Hogg, and Coles-Body were identified as part of a robbery ring operating across the country. The men would disable ATM machines, and when the technician showed up to fix the machine, they would threaten or assault the technician to steal the cash containers, called cassettes, from the ATM.
In December 2024, the pair worked together to disable ATMs on December 23 and 24, when the machines would be loaded with cash for the Christmas holiday. The coconspirators disabled a Bank of America ATM in Renton, Washington. After the technician arrived and began repairing the machine, he was forcibly confronted by Hogg and Coles-Body who brandished a screwdriver and demanded he open the machine and provide them with the cash cassettes. The technician did not open the machine, and after a scuffle, the technician was able to escape.
The next day in Vancouver, Washington, a technician was sent to repair a Bank of America ATM on SE Mill Plain Boulevard. As the technician started repairs, Hogg and Coles-Body ran up and intimidated the victim and grabbed five cash cassettes filled with currency. The men fled in a car that matched one seen the previous day in connection with the attempted robbery in Renton.
The defendants also admitted they had disabled a Bank of America ATM in Battle Ground, Washington, that same day.
While the investigations were ongoing in Washington, Hogg and Coles-Body were identified in connection with ATM tampering cases on January 3, 2025, in the Phoenix, Arizona area. ATMs for Bank of America and Wells Fargo had been tampered with like the Washington ATMs. Hogg and Coles-Body were stopped by Phoenix law enforcement before they could attempt to rob one of the ATMs they had disabled.
On March 7, 2025, the defendants committed another robbery at Bank of America in Redmond, Washington. An ATM repair technician was working on the machine that had been disabled by Hogg and Coles-Body. Once the machine was open, two robbers ran up and stole cash canisters filled with money from the machine. Five of the canisters were later recovered, damaged, on the shoulder of highway 520. A few days later, Coles-Body was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol with approximately $209,000 in cash. The cash was seized, and Coles-Body was released.
In May 2025, Hogg and Coles-Body were back in Houston, where they reside, and committed another robbery of a Wells Fargo. A repair technician had the machine open to make repairs, and Coles-Body rushed the technician and caused injuries. The men stole about $117,000 from the machine and abandoned their car a short distance away.
In June 2025, the men traveled to Oregon and disabled ATMs in Tigard and Hillsboro. While in the area, the men robbed an ATM customer who had just used a different machine.
Hogg and Coles-Body then drove from Oregon to Maine and on June 30, 2025, they disabled a Bank of America ATM in South Portland, Maine. While the technician was making repairs the men rushed him and Hogg beat the technician, stealing $47,000 from the Bank of America.
The men left Maine and drove across the country to Jackson, Mississippi where they were arrested in a traffic stop. They had stolen firearms and significant amounts of cash in the car.
Speaking at sentencing, Assistant United States Attorney Amanda McDowell noted that in Maine Hogg “beat the technician so badly he almost lost consciousness. These were hands-on robberies.”
Both men agreed to pay restitution to the victims of $768,900.
The sentencing resolves all the cases in Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Texas, Maine, and Mississippi.
Hogg will be on three years of supervised release following his prison term.
The case was investigated by the Vancouver, Phoenix, and Houston offices of the FBI and state law enforcement, the Columbia River Organized Crime Task Force, and state law enforcement partners in Hillsboro Oregon, Battleground, Washington, and Jackson, Mississippi. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda McDowell, with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Offices in Phoenix and Houston.
Seattle man sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for violent car-jacking spreeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 25-year-old Seattle man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to more than 27 years in prison for multiple counts of carjacking and using a firearm in a crime of violence, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Maar Teng Rambang was convicted in January 2026 of three counts of carjacking and three counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence for the November 7, 2022, King County-wide crime spree. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun noted that these are “serious, terrible crimes” that resulted in serious physical injury to one of the victims and lasting psychological damage to all three victims.
“This defendant violently threatened two people and shot a third and then drove at a high rate of speed recklessly throughout King County,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “It is just by luck that no one was killed in this crime spree. The mandatory minimum sentenced for this crime means this 27-year sentence is required and appropriate for this dangerous, violent conduct.”
According to records filed in the case, the carjacking spree stretched from Kent, to Bellevue, to Redmond, to Seattle and ultimately back to Renton. Just before noon on November 7, 2022, Rambang confronted a woman sitting in her car outside the Kent East Hill Post Office. Rambang ordered the woman out of her car at gunpoint. Rambang drove the stolen car to the Bellevue Square Mall garage and fired his gun as he threatened another woman and demanded her vehicle. He drove that stolen BMW to Redmond and attempted to rob Amazon employees working at a delivery locker at a Whole Foods Market. Rambang then drove the BMW to the Eastlake neighborhood of Seattle where he shot a man in the leg and stole his Jeep SUV.
Officers tracked the Jeep to Kent and attempted to stop and arrest Rambang, but he fled at speeds of 90-100 miles per hour in areas of heavy traffic. Rambang drove across the median, drove the wrong way, and ran red lights. Ultimately, law enforcement in Renton was able to block the car and arrest Rambang.
In the sentencing memo prosecutors wrote to the court, “Although the impacts of Rambang’s crime spree were extremely serious, it is fortunate that the results were not worse. Considering that he pointed a loaded gun at multiple victims and discharged it twice – and led police on a high-speed chase driving recklessly through busy streets – Rambang is fortunate that he is not being sentenced for felony murder, vehicular assault/homicide, and the like.”
Rambang will be on three years of supervised release following his prison term.
The case was investigated by the Kent, Bellevue, Redmond, and Seattle Police Departments with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco & Explosives (ATF).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Todd Greenberg and Rachel Yemini.
Man who shut down I-90 with hand-held explosive device sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 42-year-old King County resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for his unlawful possession of a destructive device which shut down Interstate 90, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Sokphana Soeung was arrested October 12, 2024, following a slow speed chase and confrontation with law enforcement during which Soeung brandished a tennis ball explosive and a lighter. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said Soeung, “displayed an alarming disrespect for the law and posed a risk to the community. Someone could have been badly hurt, including yourself.”
According to records filed in the case, Bellevue Police responded to Enatai Beach Park around noon on October 12, 2024, because of reports of two men sleeping in a car with the motor running. When contacted by police, Soeung drove away, running over spike strips that punctured all four tires on the car. Law enforcement followed and Washington State Patrol (WSP) joined the slow speed chase when the car pulled onto Interstate 90 in the westbound direction.
While on Mercer Island, a WSP trooper executed a maneuver to stop the car. At that point, Soeung jumped from the car holding a black ball device in one hand and a lighter in the other. Ultimately, police tackled Soeung, and he dropped the ball shaped item and the lighter. An investigation revealed that the ball shaped item was a tennis ball filled with explosive powder with a fuse. In the car law enforcement found a second explosive device made with sparklers taped together.
The investigation shut down I-90 for a lengthy period while the bomb squad determined there was no danger to the public or the I-90 bridge.
In asking for a two-year prison sentence prosecutors noted that Soeung has a lengthy criminal history driven by drug addiction. “The defendant’s decision to possess an explosive device and utilize it in the manner that he did on October 12, 2024, is alarming. Fleeing from law enforcement on a major interstate brimming with unsuspecting drivers in stolen car while high on fentanyl is concerning enough. Electing to flee on foot with a tennis ball “bomb” and lighter in hand placed everyone present at risk of injury or worse, including the defendant.”
The case was investigated by the Bellevue Police Department, Washington State Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Y. Gregson.
Mexican National, illegally present in the U.S., sentenced to prison for unlawful firearms possessionRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 25-year-old Mexican national was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two years in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Arturo Perez Ramirez was arrested by Seattle Police on December 1, 2024. He was driving a stolen car in south Seattle. He was the sole person in the car and was stopped after a short police chase. A Firearm was later found in the vehicle. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “Terrorizing a community is not something we can tolerate.”
According to records filed in the case, Ramirez was brought to the U.S. from Mexico as an infant. He had multiple run-ins with the law as a juvenile and as an adult. Ramirez is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a conviction for attempted robbery. He was sentenced to more than 57 months in prison in February 2023.
In asking for a 37-month sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “His convictions run the gamut from violent robberies and firearm offenses to stolen cars, escapes, thefts, and eluding. He spent a considerable amount of his youth detained in juvenile facilities. If facing criminal justice system consequences served as a deterrent for the defendant, he would not be facing deportation to a country in which he has not resided since infancy.”
Ramirez likely will be referred to removal proceedings following prison. Judge Martinez stressed that should he return to the U.S. he would face increasingly longer sentences.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
Tacoma grocery store owner indicted for food stamp fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Tacoma – The 64-year-old owner of a small Tacoma market was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for multiple counts of wire fraud and SNAP benefit fraud, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Manjit Bedi, of Kent, Washington, pleaded not guilty in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa L. Fricke. Trial is scheduled for June 22, 2026, in front of U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright.
“Every assistance dollar lost to fraud, is a dollar that could be feeding hungry children,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This crime steals from taxpayers -- including our most needy, cutting the dollars they have for food. We are committed to rooting out such fraud so that federal dollars go to where they are most needed.”
The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
According to the indictment, Bedi owned and operated a small grocery store in Tacoma. In February 2024, the store was authorized to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits – formerly known as food stamps. The indictment alleges that beginning in March 2024, Bedi agreed to provide SNAP recipients with cash in exchange for the money loaded on their electronic benefits card (EBT). For example, Bedi would charge $200 against a recipient’s EBT card, providing $100 in cash to the recipient and keeping the other $100 as profit. The indictment alleges Bedi pocketed at least $600,000 in SNAP benefits for food items that were never sold.
Both wire fraud and SNAP benefit fraud are punishable by up to twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), the FBI, and the Washington State Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore.
Honduran national sentenced to 54 months in prison for drug trafficking and returning after removalRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 30-year-old Honduran citizen was sentenced today in U.S District Court in Seattle to 54 months in prison for his role in a significant drug deal and for returning to the U.S. after being removed, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Jorge Aguilar Martinez was arrested in October 2025. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart noted that Aguilar Martinez’ conduct was driven by his desire to make money at the expense of a community decimated by fentanyl pills. “Fentanyl pills have proven to be lethal,” the judge said, “It is very easy to get a fentanyl pill that contains a deadly dose.”
According to records filed in the case, Aguilar Martinez connected a drug customer to those who claimed to be able to provide large amounts of meth and fentanyl pills. The customer was working with law enforcement. After the drug deal was struck, Aguilar Martinez and two other coconspirators were arrested with
some 28 pounds of methamphetamine and 10,000 fentanyl pills. Some of the meth had been packaged in cereal boxes.
Aguilar Martinez’ two coconspirators were charged and then released from criminal detention pending trial. Both were illegally present in the U.S. and were removed before the criminal cases were resolved.
In asking for a five-year sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “(T)he drug crisis is one of the most significant challenges faced within this District and nationwide. Aguilar Martinez’s conduct as a drug trafficker, particularly trafficking the quantities in this case, is not only extremely serious, but also demonstrates total lack of respect for the law. More significantly, it evinces a callous disregard for the wellbeing or safety of others. Although Aguilar Martinez has no other drug convictions, he has been arrested on several prior occasions for drug trafficking behavior.”
Judge Robart also noted that Aguilar Martinez almost immediately returned to the U.S. after being removed in 2024, showing that he did not respect the law.
Aguilar Martinez is directed to serve four years of supervised release should he return to the U.S. again. He is expected to be removed following his prison term.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlotte Storey. Ms. Storey is an attorney with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service specially designated to prosecute criminal cases in federal court.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Iranian citizen extradited from Panama to U.S. on indictment in SeattleRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 44-year-old citizen of Iran was extradited to the United States last week and will appear today at 2:00 PM in U.S. District Court in Seattle on a nine-count indictment related to his scheme to violate trade sanctions against Iran, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Reza Dindar, aka Renda Dindar was indicted by the grand jury in August 2014. Dindar was arrested in Panama in July 2025 at the request of the United States. The indictment was unsealed with his arrival in the Western District for his initial appearance.
“The members of this conspiracy thought they could evade export restrictions by shipping goods through a third country – in this case China,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “But law enforcement uncovered the scheme, and the grand jury returned the indictment leading to the appearance today.”
According to the indictment, the conduct in this case violates sanctions against Iran imposed by the President’s Executive Order in March 1995 and reimposed in 2001. The orders prohibit the unauthorized exportation, re-exportation, sale, or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States of any goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran; as well as the exportation or supply of goods, technology, or services to persons in third countries knowing or with reason to know that the goods, technology or services are intended for supply, trans-shipment, or re-exportation to Iran.
According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar managed a business called New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China. The company hid the fact that it was procuring items in the U.S. for companies in Iran. It fraudulently claimed the goods were destined for China. The indictment details that in 2011 and 2012, Dindar and his coconspirators used deception to purchase parts for three military sonar systems from a business in the Western District of Washington. Dindar and his coconspirators claimed the systems would be used by a company in China. In fact, the indictment alleges that at all times, the plan was to ship the parts through China to Iran in violation of export controls.
“The Bureau of Industry and Security is committed to enforcing the nation’s export control laws. This indictment and extradition are evidence of that commitment,” said BIS Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement, David Peters.
“This successful extradition marks a significant step towards accountability for members of this conspiracy whose actions posed a threat to our national security,” said HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “HSI special agents, in close partnership with our U.S. and international law enforcement partners, demonstrate that actors who attempt to exploit the U.S. trade system and to provide sensitive technology to foreign threats will face consequences despite their efforts to evade justice abroad.”
Dindar is charged with conspiracy, two counts of export to an embargoed country, two counts of smuggling goods from the United States, two counts of money laundering for the $97,600 the company sent to the U.S. for the purchase, and two counts of filing false export records.
If convicted, Dindar faces up to 20 years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security - Office of Export Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The case is being prosecuted by assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Panama to secure the arrest and extradition from Panama of Dindar. Significant assistance was provided by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).
dindar_indictment.pdfSecond defendant linked to drug trafficking in notorious “Jungle” homeless camp sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 43-year-old Seattle man as sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 75 months in prison for his years long activity dealing meth and fentanyl in Seattle’s homeless encampments and International District, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Khampheth Keodara sold fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, and cocaine to people residing in “The Jungle” a homeless encampment under I-5 near Seattle’s International District. At today’s sentencing hearing Judge Tana Lin said, “You were dealing fentanyl, meth, and cocaine – drugs that cause great harm in our community. Your actions added to all that suffering.”
“On three separate King County cases, Keodara got a break from judges, and a reduced sentence for his crimes, by agreeing to undergo drug treatment. All three times he washed out of the drug treatment program,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Even as he was pretending to be in drug treatment, he was dealing poisons to vulnerable unhoused people. This sentence is the result of such predatory behavior.”
According to records filed in the case, the investigation began in November 2023, with the Seattle Police, FBI, and DEA focusing on a drug trafficking organization dealing fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the homeless encampments of Seattle and in drug trafficking areas of the International District at locations such as 12th and Jackson. Some of the defendants were arrested with firearms. Using a court authorized wiretap, investigators gathered evidence of the drug trafficking and made arrests and seizures over the course of the investigation. Law enforcement heard intimations of violence on the calls and worked to intervene without tipping off the targets of the investigation. In one call involving Keodara he discussed providing a pound of methamphetamine to the contact, indicating he was not a small-time dealer.
During the arrest operation in January 2025, law enforcement seized 17 firearms and various quantities of controlled substances.
On January 21, 2026, Keodara pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
In asking for a 90-month sentence, assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Conzatti wrote to the court, “Keodara continued to commit crimes while in his 30s. He received his third DOSA (Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative) sentence in 2022 after committing numerous felony offenses, including identity theft, unlawful possession of a firearm, witness tampering, and conspiracy to commit witness tampering. This DOSA, like his first two, was revoked… While in the community, ostensibly engaging in drug treatment, Keodara was engaged in drug distribution.”
“Mr. Keodara has had multiple chances to become a law-abiding citizen,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Seattle. “Instead, he chose to contribute to the fentanyl crisis plaguing our communities by preying on those made vulnerable by their addictions. We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to remove dangerous drugs and those who peddle them from our communities, along with the violent crime they bring.”
Keodara is the second defendant to be sentenced in the case. Theodore Nation, 36, of Seattle was sentenced in February 2026 to 30 months in prison. Tommy Pham, 38, of Newcastle, Donfeuy Saephan, 55, of Seattle, and Sang Tran, 55, of Kent, Washington, have each pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing in July.
The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Investigators also worked with the King County Sheriff’s Office and the Tukwila Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
First of two violent ATM bank robbers sentenced to ten years in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 24-year-old Texas man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to ten years in prison for a string of violent bank robberies, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Seth Coles-Body, of Houston pleaded guilty in February 2026 to four counts of bank robbery and two counts of attempted bank robbery for his role in a scheme to steal from banks by assaulting and threatening ATM technicians. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, Coles-Body “was enjoying a criminal life… The conduct was driven by greed and an appetite for money without considering the overall community.”
“This defendant targeted ordinary, hardworking citizens who were simply doing their job, and who now have to live with the fear and trauma that comes from being ambushed and beaten in their workplace,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Mr. Coles-Body used increasing violence as time went on. Even after several law enforcement encounters, he never slowed down, instead he celebrated his robberies on social media. This significant sentence is warranted.”
“For months, Mr. Coles-Body and his co-defendant committed a series of increasingly brazen and violent robberies across the United States, including in multiple locations in the state of Washington,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “They badly injured repair technicians just trying to do their jobs and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars. I commend the hard work of the FBI Seattle, Phoenix, and Houston field offices, along with state law enforcement partners nationwide, in bringing these thieves to justice.”
Coles-Body, 24, and Ahmon Hogg, 23, of Humble, Texas, were identified as part of a robbery ring operating across the country. The men would disable ATM machines, and when the technician showed up to fix the machine, they would threaten or assault the technician to steal the cash containers, called cassettes, from the ATM.
In December 2024, the pair worked together to disable ATMs on December 23 and 24, when the machines would be loaded with cash for the Christmas holiday. The coconspirators disabled a Bank of America ATM in Renton, Washington. After the technician arrived and began repairing the machine, he was forcibly confronted by Hogg and Coles-Body who brandished a screwdriver and demanded he open the machine and provide them with the cash cassettes. The technician did not open the machine, and after a scuffle, the technician was able to escape.
The next day in Vancouver, Washington, a technician was sent to repair a Bank of America ATM on SE Mill Plain Boulevard. As the technician started repairs, Hogg and Coles-Body ran up and intimidated the victim and grabbed five cash cassettes filled with currency. The men fled in a car that matched one seen the previous day in connection with the attempted robbery in Renton.
The defendants also admitted they had disabled a Bank of America ATM in Battle Ground, Washington, that same day.
While the investigations were ongoing in Washington, Hogg and Coles-Body were identified in connection with ATM tampering cases on January 3, 2025, in the Phoenix, Arizona area. ATMs for Bank of America and Wells Fargo had been tampered with like the Washington ATMs. Hogg and Coles-Body were stopped by Phoenix law enforcement while attempting to rob one of the ATMs they had disabled.
On March 7, 2025, the defendants committed another robbery at Bank of America in Redmond, Washington. An ATM repair technician was working on the machine that had been disabled by Hogg and Coles-Body. Once the machine was open, two robbers ran up and stole cash canisters filled with money from the machine. Five of the canisters were later recovered, damaged, on the shoulder of highway 520. A few days later, Coles-Body was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol with approximately $209,000 in cash. The cash was seized, and Coles-Body was released.
In May 2025, Hogg and Coles-Body were back in Houston, where they reside, and committed another robbery of a Wells Fargo. A repair technician had the machine open to make repairs, and Coles-Body rushed the technician and caused injuries. The men stole about $117,000 from the machine and abandoned their car a short distance away.
In June 2025, the men traveled to Oregon and disabled ATMs in Tigard and Hillsboro. While in the area, the men robbed an ATM customer who had just used a different machine.
Hogg and Coles-Body then drove from Oregon to Maine and on June 30, 2025, they disabled a Bank of America ATM in South Portland, Maine. While the technician was making repairs the men rushed and beat the technician, stealing $47,000 from the Bank of America.
The men left Maine and drove across the country to Jackson, Mississippi where they were arrested in a traffic stop. They had stolen firearms and significant amounts of cash in the car.
Both men have agreed to pay restitution to the victims currently determined to be $768,900.
The sentencing resolves all the cases in Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Texas, Maine, and Mississippi.
Speaking in court today and asking for the high-end ten-year sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Amanda McDowell said, “These were hands-on robberies carried out with violence and intimidation…. No place in the country was off limits, and this was fun for him. There was no remorse – this was a source of pride and celebration.”
Coles-Body will be on three years of supervised release following his prison term.
The case was investigated by the Vancouver, Phoenix, and Houston offices of the FBI and state law enforcement, the Columbia River Organized Crime Task Force, and state law enforcement partners in Hillsboro Oregon, Battleground, Washington, and Jackson, Mississippi. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda McDowell, with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Offices in Phoenix and Houston.
Domestic Violence offender, and a repeat DUI defendant, both illegally present in U.S., sentenced for returning following deportationRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two Mexican citizens, both illegally present in the U.S., were sentenced in the last few weeks for reentry of a removed alien, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Both Jorge Velasquez-Sandoval, 36, and Filadelfo Garcia Garcia, 36, returned to the U.S. after two prior removals.
“These cases typify what we are seeing as the sanctuary policies of Washington State prohibit local officials from cooperating with immigration enforcement,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. “Mr. Velasquez-Sandoval was arrested in Snohomish County for domestic violence but was released before immigration agents could take him into custody. When he was arrested again for violating a protection order we were able to secure a judicial warrant for illegally re-entering the United States and keep him detained. Similarly, Mr. Garcia Garcia has multiple DUI convictions and even more arrests. This criminal alien was repeatedly released back into the community rather than turning him over to immigration authorities. It is only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or killed because the State refuses to cooperate with federal law enforcement. My office will continue to use the tools we have available to ensure crimes are not committed by individuals who are in United States illegally.”
According to records filed in the case, Velasquez-Sandoval was first encountered by law enforcement in 2007 in the Benton County Jail. In February 2009, an immigration judge ordered him removed to Mexico, and he was removed at the San Ysidro, California Port of Entry. In December 2015, Velasquez-Sandoval was encountered by Homeland Security Agents at Tecate, California. Velasquez-Sandoval was again removed from the U.S. at the San Luis, Arizona Port of Entry.
In October 2024, Department of Homeland Security Agents were alerted that Velasquez-Sandoval had been arrested in Snohomish County for 4th degree assault (domestic violence). Velasquez-Sandoval was released back into the community. DHS was again alerted in September 2025, that Velasquez-Sandoval had been arrested for violating a protection order related to the domestic violence assault.
Homeland Security Agents obtained a judicial warrant for Velasquez-Sandoval’s arrest and took him into federal custody on February 5, 2026. On February 26, 2026, Velasquez-Sandoval pleaded guilty.
At the March 31, 2026, sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, ““It is clear that Mr. Velasquez-Sandoval has no respect for the law. . .. It looks to me that I’ve got somebody who’s essentially committing crimes every time he’s here.”
Velasquez-Sandoval will be turned over to immigration authorities and detained while being processed for removal to Mexico.
In the second case, Fidelfo Garcia Garcia was sentenced April 9, 2026. At that sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said, “I shouldn’t have to tell you that drinking and driving is serious…. I take that seriously.”
According to records filed in the case, Garcia Garcia was first removed from the U.S. in August 2018. He was found in California and removed a second time in May 2019. In December 2025, Agents learned that Garcia Garcia was arrested in Lewis County and obtained a judicial warrant for his arrest.
In its sentencing request, prosecutors noted that Garcia Garcia has a dangerous history of driving under the influence. “For example, he has DUI convictions from 2014, 2016, and 2025, in addition to other arrests for DUIs that did not result in convictions from June 2015, August 2017, October 2022, and August 2025. He also has multiple arrests for ignition interlock violations over the years, one of which resulted in a conviction. Also concerning is a 2017 arrest for a hit and run of an attended vehicle, which was dismissed after entering into a stipulated order of continuance.”
Garcia Garcia will be turned over to immigration authorities and detained while being processed for removal to Mexico.
Both defendants received time served sentences – approximately 54 days for Velasquez-Sandoval and 28 days for Garcia Garcia.
The cases were investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI).
The cases were prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Christine Cáceres. Ms. Cáceres is an attorney with Homeland Security Investigations specially designated to handle immigration matters in federal court.
Bellevue, Washington tax preparer convicted of assisting in the creation of false tax returnsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 65-year-old Bellevue, Washington tax preparer was convicted last week of three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Thanjavur Manavalan, the owner and operator of Mano Accounting Services, was convicted following an eight-day jury trial. Jurors deliberated for about two days before reaching the guilty verdicts. U.S. District Judge Lauren King scheduled sentencing for July 15, 2026.
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, Manavalan falsified a variety of items on clients’ tax returns, including charitable contributions, proceeds and initial price (basis) of investments sold, business losses, rental income, and private loans. Manavalan’s tax preparation business attracted clients who worked in the tech field, many of whom were originally from India, and they testified that they trusted Manavalan to compute and file their taxes correctly. In closing argument, Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Forstein told the jury that the items Manavalan added to the tax returns “were not typos, they were complete inventions… (For three clients) these businesses did not exist. Manavalan made up businesses with substantial losses in order to deduct the losses on tax returns.”
Prosecutors noted that Manavalan’s tax prep business filed thousands of returns and grew substantially over the course of the fraud scheme. By saving his clients money on their taxes, Manavalan developed a reputation that helped build his business. That business growth meant he earned more money.
“Taxes can be complicated, but Mr. Manavalan’s scheme was not. He simply lied, going out of his way to falsify his clients’ tax returns,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “Mr. Manavalan tried to grow his business and increase his profits through fraud, but today’s guilty verdict puts an end to these schemes.”
The trial detailed 12 different tax returns for tax years 2018-2020 with false and fraudulent information. The jury convicted on three of the twelve counts, acquitted on one count and was unable to reach a verdict on eight of the counts. The total tax loss to the U.S. Treasury from the 12 counts is estimated to exceed $420,000.
Manavalan’s attorneys attempted to place the blame on the taxpayers who used Manavalan for their tax preparation, saying they were the ones who provided information to the tax preparer. Assistant United States Attorney David T. Martin countered that, if that were true, “Manavalan found an extremely dishonest group of clients.” The reality was that “Manavalan took a kernel of truth and made it into a lie on the tax return.”
Manavalan has owned and operated Mano Accounting Services since 2004.
Aiding and assisting with the preparation and presentation of a false tax return is punishable by up to three years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David T. Martin and Carolyn Forstein.
Persistent armed fentanyl dealer gets 20-year prison sentenceRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 34-year-old Seattle resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 20 years in prison for three counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Leon Henderson was arrested by Seattle Police in January, May, and September 2023. Each time Henderson had more than a thousand fentanyl pills, and on two of the arrests he had loaded firearms. A jury convicted Henderson in November 2025, following a three-day trial.
At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead noted that Henderson knew he was dealing to homeless addicts who would struggle to resist the temptation. “The numbers in this case speak volumes.” Mr. Henderson had “over 18,000 fentanyl pills, 220 grams of fentanyl powder, and 700 grams of methamphetamine.” Selling the fentanyl pills for “a dollar per pill,” he could have caused “18,000 potential overdoses in our community.” Judge Whitehead said.
“This case exemplifies the effort federal law enforcement is making around crime hotspots in our city, such as the North Aurora emphasis area,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “The FBI and Seattle Police Department identified this area as one where federal attention could make a difference. This case took significant deadly drugs, firearms, and a habitual criminal off the street.”
“Even though Mr. Henderson had multiple chances to change his destructive behavior, he persisted in selling fentanyl to homeless and vulnerable individuals while illegally in possession of stolen, loaded firearms,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Every time Mr. Henderson was arrested, he had even more fentanyl pills than the last, thousands on each occasion, showing he still has not learned his lesson even after repeated arrests. The FBI and our partners will continue to pursue dangerous drug traffickers to hold them accountable and keep our communities safe.”
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, on January 25, 2023, Henderson was contacted at his car, parked outside the Park Plaza Motel on Aurora. He had $2770 cash in his pocket. When the car was searched, law enforcement found around 600 grams methamphetamine, 1,700 fentanyl pills, 200 grams of fentanyl powder, and a loaded pistol under the driver’s seat. Henderson’s DNA was on the pistol and on a second gun found in a bag with narcotics.
On May 5, 2023, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, Henderson was contacted by Seattle Police and was found to have about 7,000 fentanyl pills, a firearm, and cash.
And finally on September 13, 2023, Henderson was arrested in Ballard near a homeless encampment. Henderson possessed a backpack with nearly 10,000 fentanyl pills.
Henderson’s crimes result in a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years: ten years for drug possession counts and a consecutive five years for each of the drug-related firearm counts.
The jury also found that Henderson illegally possessed the firearms due to his previous felony convictions for promoting prostitution and felony harassment.
It is that criminal history that particularly concerned prosecutors and those working to fight crime in the North Aurora neighborhoods. “The underlying details of his 2019 conviction for promoting prostitution are quite alarming; Mr. Henderson forced the victim to work as a sex worker by injecting her with heroin and threatening her with death. As the Court is aware, each time Mr. Henderson was arrested in this case, he was arrested with a different female companion. The first female who was with Mr. Henderson during the January 25 arrest, was allegedly involved in prostitution. The third female, who was with him during the September 13 arrest, had been reported as a missing person in Clallam County. At a minimum, this suggests that Mr. Henderson involved others in his drug trafficking activity. At worst, he continued to promote prostitution alongside his drug trafficking business. Under either scenario, his illegal possession of guns endangered his female associates.”
Henderson will be on 5 years of supervised release following his prison term.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police and the FBI as part of an emphasis on crime in the North Aurora area. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives provided key assistance.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Manca, Jin Kim, and Carolyn Forstein.
California man convicted of sex trafficking victims across the United StatesRead the Press Release
Seattle –A 33-year-old California man who compelled women into prostitution using assaults, threats, fraud, and manipulation was convicted late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle of six federal felonies related to his multi-state sex trafficking activity, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. The jury deliberated for three days following a 4-week jury trial, convicting Brandon Denzel Washington of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion, one count of sex trafficking by fraud and coercion and four counts of transporting women for the purpose of prostitution through coercion and enticement. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones scheduled sentencing for June 18, 2026.
According to records filed in the case, Washington was charged with trafficking four different women. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on three other counts of sex trafficking. Multiple victims testified about Washington trafficking and transporting them to Washington, Nevada, California, Oregon, and Hawaii between 2014 and 2021.
The sex trafficking scheme was first uncovered when a retired Bellevue Police Officer working security noticed a high number of men visiting a Bellevue luxury apartment building over a period of just a few weeks. The investigation took off from there with law enforcement investigators analyzing financial records, travel records, ads for commercial sex posted in online forums, and social media posts to identify victims of Washington’s sex trafficking activities and to gather evidence of the offenses.
Four named victims testified at the trial, some describing brutal assaults and threats Washington used to keep them or other victims in his control and earning hundreds of thousands of dollars for him through commercial sex acts.
When women were finally able to get free from his control, they left without any of the money they had earned. Evidence at trial showed that Washington used his victims’ earnings to fund his lifestyle, including luxury apartments in downtown Seattle, Bellevue, Las Vegas, and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, designer clothes, fine dining, and luxury vehicles. Through one victim, he acquired a Bentley car worth over $120,000, which he then wrapped in gold. Washington then used his social media accounts to boast about his lifestyle in an effort to recruit other women.
At trial prosecutors offered text messages and messages from social media where Washington described the hundreds of thousands of dollars he took from the women in his control. In those messages, he also discussed the violence he used to control them and the manipulation and promises he used to recruit other victims. In some text messages, Washington stated that he was searching for victims with low self-esteem or who were otherwise particularly vulnerable targets who he could force and manipulate into sex work.
In closing argument Assistant United States Attorney Celia Lee told the jury that Washington “used fists, lies and manipulation to get vulnerable women to support his lavish lifestyle.”
Sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion is punishable by a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion is punishable up to life imprisonment. Transporting a victim for prostitution is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Bellevue Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kate Crisham and Celia Lee.
Kent, Washington, woman sentenced to prison for defrauding VA programs designed to help severely disabled veteransRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Kent, Washington, woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 17 months in prison for her long-lasting fraud scheme that stole more than $1 million in benefits from the Veterans Administration, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Kelly M. Lee-Carroll, 58, recruited her sister and her son to the scheme to defraud Veterans Administration health care and disability benefits. Lee-Carroll claimed she was unable to walk or care for herself and needed round-the-clock care. In fact, Lee-Carrol was able to walk. She traveled on exotic vacations and purchased a second home in Las Vegas all while collecting benefits intended for the most disabled veterans. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “Ms. Lee-Carroll broke the trust she had with her fellow veterans. It was intentional and it went on for an extended period of time.”
“As a veteran, I find this type of fraud against our programs despicable,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “These benefits to pay for care, and for caregivers, need to be carefully utilized so that they serve veterans as intended. They should not go for second homes, cars, exotic trips, or casino gambling as they did in this case. This defendant not only pays the price for her conduct, she roped in her family members who now have felony convictions.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that individuals who steal VA benefits will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General Northwest Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to identify and eliminate fraud by seeking prosecution of those who swindle VA benefit programs that are intended to help veterans, their families, and caregivers. We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this investigation.”
According to records filed in the case, between July 2012 and October 2024, Lee-Carroll claimed to be disabled to such a degree that she needed full time care for daily living. She claimed to be bedridden with paralysis in one leg and arm. She repeatedly represented that she needed a wheelchair to leave home. The investigation revealed that Lee-Carroll did not require the use of a wheelchair outside her home and that she had use of both hands.
Lee-Carroll designated her sister and son as her caregivers so that the VA would pay them for the hours they claimed they cared for Lee-Carroll. Her sister and son claimed to be caring for Lee-Carroll while they were clocked in at other jobs such as driving a truck or working as an administrative assistant. On some of the occasions that they claimed to be caring for Lee-Carroll, she was traveling to Las Vegas, Tennessee, or internationally to Mexico or Jamaica, without any caregivers.
The scheme stole more than $1.1 million in VA funds. Lee-Carroll was ordered to pay $932,142 in restitution. Her son, Robert H. Nelson III, 28, was sentenced last November to 14 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $282,698 in restitution. Her sister, Katoya F. Grant, 41, was sentenced earlier this month to a ‘time-served’ sentence with six months of supervised release and was ordered to pay $293,787 in restitution.
Lee-Carroll served in the Army for three months in 1986 and then joined the Army Reserves from 1986-1994. Lee-Carroll claimed a service-related disability in 2012 and received caregiver funding in 2013. Prosecutors acknowledged that Lee-Carroll did qualify for some disability payments but not the more than $11,000 per month that she was receiving.
In asking for an 18-month sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “For years, Lee-Carroll falsely claimed that she was wheelchair-bound and bedridden to secure over $1 million in VA benefits that are earmarked for severely disabled veterans. She recruited her sister and son into her scheme to defraud the VA and taxpayers out of funds that should have gone to veterans who are, in fact, bedridden and who require round-the-clock care. The VA benefits that she secured through lies funded a lifestyle that included two homes, one in Kent that is worth over $1 million and one in Las Vegas worth $772,000, multiple vehicles, gambling, and frequent international trips.”
All three defendants pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to commit theft of government property and a count of health care fraud.
The case was investigated by the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yunah Chung.
Former restauranteur sentenced to 30 months in prison for defrauding elderly victimRead the Press Release
Seattle – The former owner of a Lake Sammamish restaurant was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle 30 months in prison for wire fraud and filing a false tax return in connection with his theft from a former elderly customer, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Richard Dale Radcliffe, 62, admitted on November 12, 2025, that he illegally took $515,000 from the financial accounts of an elderly woman he befriended for the purpose of personally benefiting from her wealth. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, “(The victim) trusted and believed that you would use her money for her care… You used your access and control over accounts to enrich yourself…. You exploited her for your gain to the tune of half a million dollars.”
“This defendant ingratiated himself into the life of an elderly widow, encouraging her to make him and his family beneficiaries in her will,” said First Assistant Neil Floyd. “But he did not wait for her death to start taking her money – he raided her accounts to pay for his own luxuries. His callous conduct is deserving of this prison sentence.”
According to documents filed in the case, Radcliffe cultivated a friendship with a widow who lived near his restaurant after he learned about her significant wealth. The widow was elderly and suffering cognitive decline. Within a few months of their friendship beginning, Radcliffe arranged for a friend of his to serve as the power of attorney for the victim, with Radcliffe still having access and control over the victim’s bank accounts. Radcliffe became the beneficiary of her will shortly thereafter. The victim had no surviving family members, and trusted Radcliffe to assist her with her finances and take care of her bills. Radcliffe abused his access to her accounts and used her money for his own real estate purchases, gambling, travel, and restaurant operation expenses. He convinced his friend, as power of attorney, to liquidate over $800,000 from the victim’s retirement account to fund the purchase of a home for himself in North Carolina by falsely claiming that he was entitled that amount as reimbursement for money that he spent on the victim’s care and for remodeling her home.
The victim ultimately moved into an assisted living facility and passed away in November 2020. The facility where the victim lived noted that Radcliffe resisted paying for extra services and supplies she needed, claiming she did not have the money to pay for them. Instead, Radcliffe moved into her $2 million waterfront home and later inherited her sizable estate.
Following the victim’s death, Radcliffe attempted to claim a life insurance benefit by posing as her deceased spouse. The life insurance company reported the fraud attempt to the FBI, thus kicking off the federal investigation. However, numerous local investigations were already underway because several individuals reported their concerns to Washington State Adult Protective Services and the King County Sheriff’s Office about Radcliffe’s exploitative behavior.
In asking for a 46-month sentence Assistant United States Attorney Grace Zoller wrote to the court, “at its core, this case is about taking advantage of someone in their most vulnerable state. Radcliffe met an elderly widow, alone for the first time in over fifty years following the death of her partner, who was suffering from cognitive decline and (he)saw it as an opportunity to line his own pockets. Radcliffe manipulated that elderly widow with attention and flattery to the point she believed she was in a romantic relationship with Radcliffe…”
When Radcliffe filed his taxes in February 2021, he failed to report the $437,000 he embezzled from the victim’s accounts. That additional income resulted in a tax liability of $124,000 he did not report to the IRS. As part of his plea agreement Radcliffe will pay $124,000 to the IRS.
“It was exceptionally cold-hearted of Mr. Radcliffe to prey on this victim’s loneliness and age," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "He befriended her to take advantage of her, stealing her money, taking her home and estate. But ultimately, Mr. Radcliffe’s greed caught up with him, resulting in today’s well-deserved prison sentence. The FBI, IRS, and other partners will carefully follow the money to hold fraudsters accountable for their crimes.”
“While Mr. Radcliffe’s victim is, unfortunately, no longer with us, we’re glad the public knows her story,” said Carrie Nordyke, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “We hope this ruling gives pause to fraudsters who think they can escape accountability by targeting the vulnerable.”
Radcliffe will be on supervised release for three years following prison and was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine in addition to the forfeiture of $515,000 and $124,000 restitution to the IRS.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), with valuable assistance from the King County Sheriff’s Office and Washington State Adult Protective Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Manca and Grace Zoller.
Registered sex offender sentenced to three years in prison for possession of child sexual abuse imagesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Seattle registered sex offender who was communicating with another person who has since been federally indicted for child sexual abuse, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for possession of images of child sexual abuse, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Christopher Randall Hamilton, 39, came to the attention of law enforcement because of disturbing communications he had with a Port Orchard, Washington, man who was arrested in a law enforcement sting operation for seeking to have sex with children. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson said Hamilton’s conduct was “extremely troubling. The images involved very young children and were violent. The discussions [with the other defendant] are very concerning.”
According to records filed in the case, Hamilton was arrested in March 2025, when the analysis of his phone revealed that he possessed approximately 180 videos and 1,500 images of child sexual abuse. Hamilton had been communicating with a man who was arrested after he drove to eastern Washington believing he was meeting with an adult who would allow him to sexually assault a young child. The child was fictitious, and the man was arrested and charged federally. A review of his phone led to Hamilton. The two men had discussed locating a mother with young children at a mall such as Southcenter Mall, so that they could sexually molest children.
In court today, prosecutors argued for, and the judge approved, a 15-year term of supervised release to follow prison so that Hamilton’s communications and electronic devices can be monitored by federal probation. Hamilton was previously convicted in Michigan of possession of images of child sexual abuse.
The case was investigated by the Washington State Patrol (WSP), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Seattle Police Department (SPD).
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon. Ms. Harmon is a Senior Deputy Prosecutor for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, specially designated to prosecute child exploitation crimes in federal court.
Former CFO sentenced to two years in prison for $35 million theft from start-up tech firmRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Mercer Island, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two years in prison for four counts of wire fraud for taking and misusing some $35 million from his former employer, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Nevin Shetty, 42, was found guilty on November 7, 2025, following a nine-day jury trial. At the sentencing hearing Judge Tana Lin told Shetty, “The loss had significant and severe effects on the company. Your actions threw into complete turmoil the lives of those 60 people (who were laid off) …. You almost put the company out of business…. You were playing with money that wasn’t yours.”
“Mr. Shetty brazenly schemed to line his own pockets with his employer’s money. Through years of pretrial litigation and then at trial, he steadfastly deflected blame and even went so far as to claim that his fraud was somehow meant to help his former company,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “His lies did not fool the jury.”
According to records in the case, Shetty was hired as the CFO of a private software company in March 2021. The company was raising capital for its work in multiple rounds of funding. The company, with Shetty, drafted a policy governing how the money raised should be kept safe while the company worked to grow its business. The company adopted an investment policy statement that called for company cash to be invested only in money market accounts or other conservative investments. The company’s overriding objective was to preserve its capital for use in operating and growing the business.
Even though Shetty helped draft the policy and disseminate it to the board of directors for approval, he secretly moved approximately $35 million in company funds to a cryptocurrency platform he controlled as a side business. Shetty created that side business, called HighTower Treasury, in early 2022. It had no other outside customers. In April 2022, shortly after he was told he could not continue as CFO at his employer due to concerns about his performance, Shetty secretly transferred the funds out of his employer’s account.
Between April 1 and 12, 2022, using wire transfers he ordered from a Chase bank branch near his home, Shetty moved $35,000,100 of his employer’s money to an account for HighTower Treasury. No other executives or board members at the company knew of these transfers. Shetty, through HighTower, then placed the money in a realm of cryptocurrency sometimes referred to as decentralized finance or “DeFi.” Shetty chose high-yield DeFi lending protocols that promised to generate returns of 20% or more. Shetty’s idea was that HighTower would pay Shetty’s company a comparatively small, fixed amount and keep the remainder of the returns for itself. As an owner of HighTower, Shetty stood to personally share in those profits, which could have been substantial. In the first month alone, Shetty’s scheme earned roughly $133,000 of profit for himself and his HighTower business partner.
However, the cryptocurrency investments that Shetty made with the stolen funds soon began declining and by May 13, 2022, the value of the investments was nearly zero. After the $35 million was essentially gone, Shetty told two of his fellow executives what he had done. He was immediately fired.
In asking for a nine-year prison sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Kopczynski wrote to the court, “Shetty’s serious crime deserves stern punishment. This was a calculated scheme motivated by greed and meticulously carried out over many months. Shetty created a web of lies. He lied to people up and down the chain of command at [his employer], people at outside institutions like Stifel and Chase, and to his HighTower business partner…. Adapting to the massive loss from Shetty’s fraud required [his former employer]to lay off 60 people. Those are 60 people whose lives and careers were irrevocably damaged by Shetty’s greed.”
“In less than one month, Mr. Shetty stole $35 million from his employer that he knew was meant to be kept in conservative investments to help grow the company,” said Jonathan Dean, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Instead, he lost almost of all it through risky cryptocurrency investments. As the company’s CFO, Mr. Shetty was not only part of the investment planning but also had the access and trust to move the money. I commend the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office who worked tirelessly on a difficult case to bring this embezzler to justice.”
Shetty was ordered to pay $35,000,100 and will be on supervised release for three years after prison. Judge Lin imposed a special condition that he not serve as an officer or director of a company without prior permission from the probation office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Kopczynski and Grace Zoller.
Dark web fentanyl distributor sentenced to 42 months in prisonRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A Puyallup, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 42 months in prison for operating a ‘dark web’ marketplace selling fentanyl tainted pills, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Trevor Stephen Haahr, 34, of Puyallup, Washington, distributed more than 100,000 fentanyl pills designed to look like legitimately manufactured pain medications. When investigators searched his storage unit, which Haahr used as a parcel packaging center, they located nearly another kilogram of fentanyl pills. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright said, “This was not a matter of small-time drug dealing to supplement an individual habit; this took sophisticated efforts to sell large amounts of fentanyl.”
“This defendant was sending dangerous pills through the mails at the height of the fentanyl overdose crisis,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “His dark web distribution endangered not only those across the country who bought his pills, it endangered those postal workers who might be exposed to the fentanyl from a damaged package or shipping mishap.”
“Just one fentanyl pill has the potential to take a loved one, destroy a family, and forever change a community” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti. “The U.S. Mail remains one of the most trusted forms of shipping in the world. When people misuse it to harm our communities, it’s our duty and responsibility to do everything we can to hold people like Haahr accountable. The sentencing today should serve as a warning to all. If you ship illegal and dangerous narcotics, we will find you. We thank the HSI and the FBI for their assistance on this case.”
According to the statements in the plea agreements, in early 2023, law enforcement began an investigation into sales of fentanyl pills on a marketplace located on the dark web. After ordering some of the pills that were labeled to appear as M30 oxycodone pills, law enforcement testing revealed they were fentanyl pills.
Through various investigative techniques, Trevor Stephen Haahr was identified as the operator of the marketplace on the dark web. In February 2024, Haahr mailed a package in Pierce County that was searched and contained more than 10,000 fentanyl pills.
On March 11, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at Haahr’s residence, office, storage locker, vehicle. At Haahr’s office he was signed on to the dark web vender profile. In his truck and storage locker investigators found drug proceeds, fentanyl pills, and supplies for shipping the drugs.
Law enforcement also seized bitcoin that Haahr had received in payment for the drugs. At the time it was seized the bitcoin was worth approximately $50,000. Haahr is forfeiting the bitcoin as proceeds of his drug dealing.
In asking for the 5-year prison sentence prosecutors noted that Haahr’s pill distribution occurred as fentanyl deaths were peaking in Kin County. “By 2023, the number of fentanyl-involved overdoses in King County rose to 1,086. Although the number of fentanyl-involved overdoses peaked in 2023 in King County, in 2024 there were still 788 fentanyl-involved overdoses. This data only reflects the local fatal impact of fentanyl, and overdose deaths, of course, are but one aspect of the fentanyl crisis in America. The overdose-deaths metric fails to show the long-term impact of fentanyl on surviving users, their families, and the community.”
Kaeli Arielle Albert, 35, of Orting, Washington, conspired with Haahr to provide the pills. She was sentenced earlier this year to 18 months in prison.
“By distributing more than 100,000 fentanyl laced pills, Mr. Haahr and his co-conspirators were spreading dangerous and highly addictive drugs into our communities,” said Jonathan Dean, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “The FBI and our partners will continue to pursue drug traffickers and hold them accountable, including those who might think they are hiding on the dark web.”
“As today’s sentence proves, the anonymity of the dark web does not shield criminals from facing justice,” said HSI Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Haahr will serve time in federal prison for putting lives at grave risk by flooding our communities with fentanyl‑laced counterfeit pills disguised as legitimate medicine. HSI, USPIS, and the FBI identified the source of this deadly online marketplace, tracked his supply chain and finances, and dismantled his operation. If you traffic fentanyl—on the street or online—we will find you and hold you accountable.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Wynne and Casey Conzatti.
Brothers from Mexico sentenced to prison for multi-year drug distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
Seattle – One of two brothers from Mexico, who were both caught with a total of more than 30 pounds of fentanyl powder and pills and a kilo of heroin, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 42 months in prison, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Benito Perez Aguilar, 29, of Kent, Washinton, and his brother Antonio Perez Aguilar, 32, of Mill Creek, Washington, were arrested in May 2025 following a drug trafficking investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The men shared the moniker “Miguel” in their drug trafficking from 2022-2025. The investigation documented various drug sales throughout western Washington. Neither brother has legal status in the U.S.
“These men were moving large amounts of fentanyl pills and powder in our community – they were not small-time dealers,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Particularly concerning, Benito Perez Aguilar, while driving impaired, caused a traffic accident on I-5 in n 2017. He remained a fugitive on a state court warrant related to that case, until his federal arrest last year.”
“This investigation shut down a significant fentanyl and heroin distribution operation that was putting lives at risk across western Washington,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “As part of our commitment to a Fentanyl Free America, DEA is committed to disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing the availability of these deadly drugs, and saving American lives. Investigations like this show that DEA and our partners will continue to target the criminal networks responsible for trafficking these deadly drugs and hold those who profit from this poison accountable.”
According to records filed in the case, the DEA moved in on the residences of both brothers on May 16, 2025. At Benito’s residence, law enforcement recovered approximately 76.5 grams of M-30 pills, 1,169 grams of fentanyl powder, as well as scales,
baggies, and $20,285 in cash. In Antonio’s residence, officers seized 1,992.3 grams of M-30 pills; 11,320 grams of fentanyl powder, 1,271.8 grams of heroin, and $12,396 in cash.
In November, Benito Perez Aguilar pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
In asking for a five-year prison term, prosecutors noted the danger of the drugs the brothers trafficked in the community, and evidence that Mr. Perez had engaged in drug trafficking previously. “On December 15, 2017, Mr. Perez caused a multi-vehicle collision while driving under the influence. He then attempted to escape the scene by offering another driver up to $2,000 to drive him away. After Mr. Perez was located by law enforcement, he was observed to have bloodshot eyes and the
odor of intoxicants. Police officers later conducted a court-authorized search of Mr. Perez’s vehicle and recovered 411 grams of heroin, six scales, five phones, and a box of Ziploc baggies. Mr. Perez failed to appear in court as directed by a summons in 2018. There was an active warrant for Mr. Perez based on this criminal conduct for over seven years, until he was arrested in 2025.”
U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead ordered Benito Perez Aguilar to serve four years of supervised release following his prison term. However, he likely will be deported following prison due to a lack of legal status in the United States.
Last month Antonio Perez Aguilar was sentenced to four years in prison. He had already been convicted in 2018 of Solicitation to Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Cocaine, in state court, for purchasing $105,000 worth of cocaine. He was sentenced to four months in prison in that case.
The case was investigated by the DEA.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Yemini.
Two foreign nationals, who returned to the U.S. following deportation, sentenced to federal prison termsRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two federal defendants who repeatedly returned to the U.S. following deportation were each sentenced to six-month federal prison terms with the expectation that they will then be deported, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Alberto Figeroa-Luque,45, a Mexican national and Fredy Ottoniel Alonzo Carcamo, 54, a Guatemalan national were both taken into federal custody following arrests on state crimes. Judge Tana Lin noted that each man had repeatedly returned to the U.S. without authorization.
“Those here illegally who are breaking our laws and making our communities unsafe remain a priority for our office,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Floyd. “While many we arrest are removed before we secure convictions, here are two examples of criminal aliens arrested based on the administration’s priorities. One of these defendants was arrested illegally carrying a firearm and possessing narcotics, the other is a sex offender who failed to register and was caught peeping into a neighbor’s window. Both had been previously deported but returned and broke the law again.”
According to records in his case, Alberto Figeroa-Luque, was ordered removed to Mexico for the first time in 2012. Since that time, he has been removed an additional four times. Figeroa-Luque came to the attention of federal law enforcement when he was arrested by Marysville Police for knowingly using a controlled substance in a public place. A search of his backpack revealed cocaine, fentanyl, and a semi-automatic handgun with a loaded magazine. Based on a judicial warrant, Figeroa-Luque was transferred from state to federal custody. In December 2025, Figeroa-Luque pleaded guilty to Reentry of a Removed Alien.
According to records filed in his case, Fredy Ottoniel Alonzo Carcamo, was convicted in February 2007, of Attempted Voyeurism in King County Superior Court. In July of 2007 he was ordered deported, but removal did not occur. In February 2020, Alonzo Carcamo was convicted of First-Degree Voyeurism in King County Superior Court, after he was caught peering through a broken blind at a woman and young child at 4:00 am. He was removed to Guatemala in July 2021. He was arrested unlawfully entering the U.S. in Arizona in September 2021 and removed a second time in February 2022. In November 2025, Alonzo Carcamo was arrested in King County and charged with failing to register as a sex offender. Based on a judicial warrant Alonzo Carcamo was transferred from state to federal custody, and in December 2025, Alonzo Carcamo pleaded guilty to Reentry of a Removed Alien.
Both cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Special Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Steveson and Christine Caceres prosecuted the cases.
Lewis County man charged federally with unlawful weapons possessionRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 47-year-old Lewis County man appeared today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma charged with unlawfully possessing firearms, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Michael Lee Draper is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior criminal convictions. In 2009, Draper was sentenced to 13 years in prison for unlawfully possessing firearms, including a stolen firearm. Prosecutors will ask the court to detain Draper pending trial at a hearing scheduled for Monday March 2, 2026.
According to records filed in the case, Draper was under investigation for theft from his former employer, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. On January 22, 2026, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office pursued a truck driven by Draper for reckless driving. The truck crashed through a fence on a rural property. A passenger in the truck was taken into custody at the scene.
Draper fled from police but was located by a Washington State Patrol surveillance aircraft and was taken into custody in a muddy, wooded ravine.
Investigators learned that Draper was under investigation for making fraudulent purchases using credit accounts of his former
employer. Some of the purchases were recovered in the back of the truck. Also in the truck were two polymer firearms – a handgun and an AR style rifle. Both guns are “ghost guns” – firearms without serial numbers that have been manufactured using a 3D printer. The truck also contained some drug paraphernalia and some suspected crystal methamphetamine.
Draper has been in state custody in Thurston County until he appeared on the federal charge today.
Unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, no more than three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Law enforcement continues to investigate the theft charges related to Draper’s employment with the Cowlitz Tribe. Draper currently faces five state counts of first-degree theft in Lewis County.
The case is being investigated by the Cowlitz Tribal Police, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore.
draper_complaint.pdfNewcastle, Washington, man pleads guilty to laundering nearly $100 million in proceeds of investment fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle –A 47-year-old resident of Newcastle, Washington, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to conspiracy to commit money laundering for his scheme to take in fraud proceeds and forward them to coconspirators’ bank accounts and cryptocurrency addresses, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Geoffrey K. Auyeung was arrested on a criminal complaint on August 12, 2024. He was indicted by the grand jury later that month. Sentencing in front of U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour is scheduled for May 12, 2026.
According to the plea agreement, Auyeung admits that he set up nine different entities that he used to accept proceeds from investors who thought they were investing in the oil and gas industry. The names of business entities that offered purported investments related to oil and gas were Sea Forest International LLC.; Apex Oil and Gas Trading LLC.; Navigator Energy Logistics LLC.; Terminal Energy International Escrow Service LLC.; Energo Horizons Logistics (EA) LLC.; Legacy Energy Logistics Transport Group LLC.; Green Tree Gateway LLC, Dragon Timbers International LLC; and ANS & Partners International Limited.
From at least August 2022 through August 2024, co-schemers convinced victims to send money to what was represented as escrow accounts to purchase oil tank storage in either Rotterdam, Netherlands, or Houston. The schemers indicated that the investors could make significant profits by renting the oil tank storage they obtained to others. However, once the funds came into accounts controlled by Auyeung, the money was quickly moved into other accounts, moved offshore, or was used to purchase cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Tether, USD Coin, and Ethereum, via cryptocurrency exchanges such as Gemini, BitStamp, and Coinbase. Much of the cryptocurrency was further transferred to accounts at the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. The Binance accounts were controlled by the same individual or individuals located in Nigeria and Russia. Victims were not sent any further information on their investment and Auyeung and others simply stopped responding.
Auyeung opened at least 81 different bank accounts at 24 different financial institutions. And he opened 19 accounts on eight different cryptocurrency exchanges. Between June 2022 and July 2024, those accounts received $97.1 million in domestic and international third-party wire transfers and other third-party deposits. Law enforcement has traced deposits linked to some 35 different people or entities. Some $24.7 million came from those victims. The government believes that the remaining deposits in Auyeung’s accounts similarly represent fraud proceeds.
As Auyeung became more aware of the fraud, he demanded higher commission from the coconspirators. He admits he received at least $4,078,348 in commission payments. Auyeung admits he mislead banks and other financial institutions about the source of the funds and his role in any fraud complaints.
Even after Auyeung was indicted in this scheme, he continued to communicate with the coconspirators and with victims who thought they were investing in oil and gas storage. Between August 2024, and December 2025, Auyeung accepted an additional $400,000 in commissions by funneling deposits through bank accounts in his wife’s name.
In the plea agreement Auyeung agrees to pay $24,707,031 in restitution.
Auyeung is forfeiting approximately $2.3 million in funds and cash seized from his bank accounts and home at the time of his arrest, as well as an Audi SQ8. He further agrees not to contest the civil forfeiture of some $7.1 million seized from various cryptocurrency wallets. He also agreed to relinquish about $300,000 currently in his bank accounts to pay toward his restitution obligation.
Conspiracy to commit money laundering – spending, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend 63 months in prison or the high-end of the guidelines range if it is less than 63 months. Judge Coughenour is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jehiel I. Baer and Yunah Chung.
Former Postal Worker pleads guilty to mail fraud scheme aimed at defrauding state businesses and charitiesRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A San Jose, California resident pleaded guilty today to mail fraud for his scheme to steal from thousands of businesses and charities with scam letters that appeared to be from state agencies, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Johnny Q. Nguyen, 50, agreed to pay $90,850 in restitution to victims who mailed checks or money orders to his Olympia post office box believing they were paying state required registration fees. Nguyen is scheduled for sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo on May 22, 2026.
According to records filed in the case, in the fall of 2024, Nguyen sent mass mailings on fake government letterhead to thousands of entities. The mailings were fraudulent billing statements directing the recipients to send checks to a post office box Nguyen had rented in Olympia, Washington. The letters instructed recipients to pay registration and filing fees for their businesses or charity. Nguyen created a limited liability company called “Business Entities” and induced the victims to make their checks payable to that entity.
Thousands of Washington and California victims sent checks, cashier’s checks, and money orders. Nguyen deposited some 350 from Washington victims totaling $82,210. He cashed 60 from California victims totaling $8,640. Investigators were able to seize an additional 1,711 pieces of mail that contained checks and money orders totaling $395,295.
After being charged in this scheme, Nguyen appeared in U.S. District Court in Northern California. He was instructed to surrender all passports and appear in Tacoma for arraignment. Instead, on June 24, 2025, Nguyen boarded a flight from San Francisco to Taipei, Taiwan enroute to Vietnam. He used a passport he had failed to surrender to the court. Nguyen was detained in Taipei and put on a flight back to California where he was taken into custody. He was later released on pre-trial supervision.
Chief Judge Estudillo can consider the attempt to flee from justice in determining the appropriate sentence.
Mail fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend 33 months in prison.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jehiel I. Baer.
Jamaican citizen pleads guilty to wire fraud for sweepstake scam that defrauded elderly victim of more than $550,000Read the Press Release
Tacoma – A Jamaican citizen pleaded guilty this week in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to wire fraud for his lottery scheme that cost an elderly victim more than $550,000, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Roshard Andrew Carty, 34, was arrested in Jamaica on August 21, 2025, and arrived in the Western District of Washington for arraignment on October 23, 2025. Carty will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright on May 14, 2026.
According to records filed in the case, Carty first contacted the 73-year-old Vancouver, Washington victim in 2020. He posed as an employee of Publisher’s Clearinghouse and claimed the victim won $22 million and a car in the lottery, but that she needed to pay taxes and fees to access her winnings. He convinced the victim that the FBI was recording the call and told her she was not to tell anyone about the big win. Between August 2020 and February 2024, he convinced the victim to send more than $550,000 to various money couriers throughout the United States, who ultimately sent the money to Carty in Jamaica.
Carty’s requests for cash started small and grew over time. He had the victim remove small amounts of cash from her accounts and send them to a U.S. location via FedEx. Carty told the victim the money was lost or stolen and demanded more. Carty told the victim to borrow against her home so she could send more money. Carty convinced the victim to sell her home to cover additional “costs and fees” to claim her prize. In all, Carty stole more than $550,000 from the victim by having her mail the money to various couriers in the U.S.
Carty was relentless in contacting the victim using various phone numbers and texting programs. He contacted her thousands of times throughout the fraud. When she tried to cut off contact, he tried sending tow trucks, and pizza deliveries, and asked her landlord for a welfare check to try to get back in touch with the victim.
Carty was indicted in November 2024. Following his August 2025 arrest in Jamaica, Carty consented to extradition to the United States.
The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica has a page devoted to lottery scams based in that country. Find it here. The bottom line: You never should pay to receive a prize and any request for advance fees is a scam.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend no more than 41 months in prison and the defense is free to recommend any sentence. Judge Cartwright is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Watts Staniar and David T. Martin. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Jamaica to secure the arrest and extradition of Carty.
Source of supply for major drug trafficking ring appears in U.S. District Court in Seattle following transfer from MexicoRead the Press Release
Seattle – The Mexico-based leader of a violent drug trafficking organization was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, following his transfer from Mexico, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Jose Luis Sanchez-Valencia, 58, was transported from Mexico to the United States last month. The indictment for four federal felonies was returned in 2022. Sanchez-Valencia is charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and three counts of illegal use of a communication facility. Sanchez-Valencia entered a plea of “Not guilty,” and trial was set in front of U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on April 20, 2026.
“This defendant was the cartel-connected leader of a violent drug trafficking ring operating in the South Puget Sound region,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Floyd. “His telephone calls link him to the conspiracy and to a local leader who was shot outside a Kitsap County stash house. Our goal in these investigations is to bring the leaders to justice. Whether they are here in Washington or abroad, they are pulling the strings for the cartels that profit at the cost of human lives in our community.”
On February 28, 2023, a local leader of the drug ring, Jose Elias Barbosa, was sentenced to more than twelve years in prison for his leadership role in the drug trafficking organization tied to the CJNG cartel. The Sanchez-Valencia indictment cites three phone calls between Barbosa and Sanchez-Valencia tied to activities of the drug ring.
In November 2019, the DTO received a shipment of liquid methamphetamine concealed in candles. Barbosa helped DTO members to extract the methamphetamine and cook it into crystal form at a Port Orchard, Washington location. While law enforcement was surveilling the operation, Barbosa was shot behind the house.
The wiretapped calls in this investigation revealed a culture of violence. Members pursued those who owed drug debts to the organization and possessed firearms during the drug conspiracy. The wiretapped calls showed members discussed kidnappings, assaults, and even murders as ways to get debtors to pay up.
“This case underscores the relentless commitment of the Drug Enforcement Administration and our law enforcement partners to dismantle violent, cartel-connected drug trafficking organizations at every level,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “By bringing this defendant from Mexico to face justice in the United States, we are sending a clear message: no matter where cartel leaders attempt to hide, we will work across borders to hold them accountable. The trafficking of methamphetamine, concealed in everyday items like candle wax, demonstrates the lengths these organizations will go to poison our communities.”
Sanchez-Valencia was amongst 37 Mexican nationals wanted for serious crimes in the United States transferred into U.S. custody on Jan. 20. The Justice Department Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs coordinated the transfers.
The charges in the indictment have penalties of a mandatory minimum ten years in prison and up to life in prison.
The charges contained in the Sanchez-Valencia indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amy Jaquette and C. Andrew Colasurdo.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Tacoma Resident Office in partnership with Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET), Kent Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, SeaTac Police Department, Thurston County Narcotics Team (TNT), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Member of Lummi Nation indicted for distributing fentanylRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 29-year-old Whatcom County man was arraigned today on an indictment for distributing fentanyl on Lummi Nation tribal land, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Stephan Charlot was first arrested by Lummi Nation Police on June 21, 2025, following the fentanyl overdose death of another Lummi Nation member on May 25, 2025. Charlot pleaded “Not Guilty” today in federal court. Trial in front of U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson is scheduled for April 6, 2026.
According to records filed in the case, emergency responders were called to a home on the Lummi Nation in Bellingham just after midnight. They found an adult woman unresponsive. Despite life-saving efforts, she could not be revived.
The investigation alleged that Charlot had supplied the fentanyl that the victim had ingested. Burned foil paper and Narcan doses were found in the room where the victim was located. Later the victim’s young child was forensically interviewed and described how her mother had started shaking and asked her daughter to “Hold her.” The child did, and said when her mother stopped shaking, she believed this was when her mother had died.
Using records on the victim’s phone, law enforcement located the person who had purchased the fentanyl from Charlot, brought it to the victim’s residence where the two of them used fentanyl together. Based upon a review of the cell phone evidence, investigators learned that this was not the first time that Charlot had sold fentanyl.
On February 3, 2026, Charlot was brought into federal custody and was ordered detained due in part to multiple prior tribal charges for distributing narcotics, and multiple warrants for failing to appear in court. Charlot has been in tribal custody since his arrest last year and was indicted by the grand jury on February 4, 2026.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the Lummi Nation Police Department and the FBI Northwestern Washington Safe Trails Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Celia Lee. Ms. Lee serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.
Seattle man convicted of abusive sexual contact on flight from Billings, Montana to SeattleRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 55-year-old Seattle man was convicted late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle of abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Jurors found Keith Witt molested the 19-year-old victim on an August 11, 2023, flight from Billings, Montana to Seattle. The jury deliberated for an hour and a half following a two-day trial. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez scheduled sentencing for May 22, 2026.
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, the victim was in the window seat and Witt was next to her in the aisle seat on the 90-minute flight. Witt engaged the victim in conversation immediately upon boarding. The victim testified that he asked a number or personal questions that made her uncomfortable and touched her shoulder and earbuds, invading her space. The victim decided to feign sleep to avoid having to interact further.
The victim moved as far as she could towards the wall of the plane. Over several minutes, she felt Witt’s hand first move to her seat. Then he touched her thigh and after pausing continued to move his hand up to the hem of her shorts towards her genitalia. The victim flinched, and Witt would remove his hand, only to move it slowly back a few moments later. When the victim opened one eye, she was able to see that Witt appeared to be sexually aroused, and he was rubbing his erection. The victim got up and went to the front of the plane. She reported the conduct to the flight crew and closed herself in the restroom. In tears, she texted her mother about what had happened.
The flight attendants moved Witt to a seat at the back of the plane and reported the incident to the flight crew. The flight crew alerted personnel at SeaTac Airport, who contacted the Port of Seattle Police who met the plane and interviewed both Witt and the victim.
In closing argument Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Yemini noted that the victim’s testimony was corroborated by others on the plane who saw she was upset and crying. “There is no motive for (the victim) to fabricate the story. She suffered the consequences: she had to talk to the flight attendant; she had to talk to the detectives; she had to come to court and describe what happened to her to strangers. She had no motive to fabricate these allegations.”
In his rebuttal closing argument, Assistant United States Attorney Brian Wynne noted that Witt had testified that any contact was inadvertent as he had fallen asleep. Wynne said that testimony was simply not credible. “He was testing boundaries, pressing those boundaries… he does not want to bring attention to himself… he is trying to do it slowly and methodically. That is evidence of his intent.”
Abusive sexual contact on an aircraft is punishable by up to two years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Port of Seattle Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Yemini and Brian Wynne.
Two plead guilty in multi-state ATM bank robbery schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two Texas men pleaded guilty over the last few weeks to four counts of bank robbery and two counts of attempted bank robbery for their scheme to steal from banks by assaulting and threatening ATM technicians, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.
Ahmon Hogg, 22, of Humble, Texas, and Seth Coles-Body, 23, of Houston, were identified as part of a robbery ring operating across the country. The men would disable ATM machines, and when the technician showed up to fix the machine, they would threaten or assault the technician to steal the cash containers, called cassettes, from the ATM. Both men are scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge James L. Robart in April.
According to the plea agreements, in December 2024, the pair worked together to disable ATMs on December 23 and 24, when the machines would be loaded with cash for the Christmas holiday. The coconspirators disabled a Bank of America ATM in Renton, Washington. After the technician arrived and began repairing the machine, he was forcibly confronted by Hogg and Coles-Body who brandished a screwdriver and demanded he open the machine and provide them with the cash cassettes. The technician did not open the machine, and after a scuffle, the technician was able to escape.
The next day in Vancouver, Washington, a technician was sent to repair a Bank of America ATM on SE Mill Plain Boulevard. As the technician started repairs, Hogg and Coles-Body ran up and intimidated the victim and grabbed five cash cassettes filled with currency. The men fled in a car that matched one seen the previous day in connection with the attempted robbery in Renton.
The defendants also admitted they had disabled a Bank of America ATM in Battle Ground, Washington, that same day.
While the investigations were ongoing in Washington, Hogg and Coles-Body were identified in connection with ATM tampering cases on January 3, 2025, in the Phoenix, Arizona area. ATMs for Bank of America and Wells Fargo had been tampered with like the Washington ATMs. Hogg and Coles-Body were stopped by Phoenix law enforcement while attempting to rob one of the ATMs they had disabled.
On March 7, 2025, the defendants committed another robbery at Bank of America in Redmond, Washington. An ATM repair technician was working on the machine that had been disabled by Hogg and Coles-Body. Once the machine was open, two robbers ran up and stole cash canisters filled with money from the machine. Five of the canisters were later recovered, damaged, on the shoulder of highway 520. A few days later, Coles-Body was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol with approximately $209,000 in cash. The cash was seized, and Coles-Body was released.
In May 2025, Hogg and Coles-Body were back in Houston, where they reside, and committed another robbery of a Wells Fargo. A repair technician had the machine open to make repairs, and Coles-Body rushed the technician and caused injuries. The men stole about $117,000 from the machine and abandoned their car a short distance away.
In June 2025, the men traveled to Oregon and disabled ATMs in Tigard and Hillsboro. While in the area, the men robbed an ATM customer who had just used a different machine.
Hogg and Coles-Body then drove from Oregon to Maine and on June 30, 2025, they disabled a Bank of America ATM in South Portland, Maine. While the technician was making repairs the men rushed and beat the technician, stealing $47,000 from the Bank of America.
The men left Maine and drove across the country to Jackson, Mississippi where they were arrested in a traffic stop. They had stolen firearms and significant amounts of cash in the car.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a sentence of 121 months, or the high end of the sentencing guidelines range – whatever is higher. The defense agrees to request a sentence within the guidelines range calculated by Judge Robart at the time of sentencing.
Both men have agreed to pay restitution to the victims currently determined to be $768,900. They also agreed to pay damages including medical expenses for the victim technicians.
The plea agreements resolve all the cases in Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Texas, Maine, and Mississippi. Judge Robart will consider all relevant conduct in determining the appropriate sentence.
Bank Robbery and Attempted Bank Robbery are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Vancouver, Phoenix, and Houston offices of the FBI and state law enforcement, the Columbia River Organized Crime Task Force, and state law enforcement partners in Hillsboro Oregon, Battleground, Washington, and Jackson, Mississippi. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda McDowell, with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Offices in Phoenix and Houston.
Honduran national sentenced to six years in prison for repeated arrests for possession and distribution of fentanylRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 37-year-old man who was living in a Des Moines, Washington, hotel, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six years in prison and three years of supervised release for drug and gun crimes, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Dennis Aguilar Huisa was arrested three times over 15 months for possession of fentanyl pills and/or powder, methamphetamine, cocaine, and a firearm. After the third arrest Huisa was federally indicted and has been in custody since November 1, 2024.
At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John C. Chun said fentanyl “is so dangerous and has destroyed so many lives…. He must have known that he was putting himself and his family at risk.”
According to records filed in the case, Puyallup Police first contacted Huisa on the side of the road in the early hours of August 15, 2023. Huisa said his car had overheated and he and a passenger were waiting for the engine to cool down. The police officer noticed that the license plate on the car did not match the type of vehicle listed in the registration. Huisa was removed from the car while law enforcement determined whether the car or the license plates were stolen. A second officer noticed blue pills in the car. Ultimately the car was impounded. A search revealed that there were about 1,000 fentanyl pills as well as some suspected fentanyl powder. There was also a scale with drug residue in the car.
On September 7, 2024, Puyallup Police responded to a report of a nine-month-old infant who had stopped breathing. Huisa and a woman met the officers outside a box truck the infant in their arms. Law enforcement worked to get the child to respond and breathe, Central Pierce Fire and Rescue responded and continued to work on providing aid to the child.
The law enforcement investigation found evidence that Huisa had given the infant two doses of Narcan suspecting that the child had been exposed to fentanyl or other drugs. Huisa gave permission to search the box truck. Law enforcement located approximately 115 blue fentanyl pills. On Huisa they found fentanyl powder and over $16,000 in cash.
The infant was taken to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. The child was given additional doses of Narcan, and the child’s blood tested positive for fentanyl, amphetamine, and oxycodone. The child survived.
Finally, on November 1, 2024, Auburn Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit served a search warrant on the Des Moines motel where Huisa had been living. In the hotel room they found small packages of fentanyl powder packaged for sale. Huisa had been attempting to flush it down the toilet when he heard law enforcement arrive. Officers found additional fentanyl powder, methamphetamine, and cocaine in other places around the room. Officers once again searched the box truck Huisa had been driving and found two kilograms of fentanyl powder and a Polymer 80 ‘ghost gun’ – a gun made without a serial number.
Huisa was charged by criminal complaint on March 12, 2025. He was indicted by the grand jury on March 26, 2025. On November 12, 2025, Huisa pleaded guilty to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and money laundering. The financial investigation revealed that between July 2022 and September 2024, Huisa had made about $370,000 in cash deposits to his bank account – the proceeds of drug dealing.
Today, Huisa told the court he was “very ashamed and cannot forgive myself for what I have done to my daughter… I did not come here to deal drugs.”
In asking for an eight-and-a-half-year sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Huisa was contacted by law enforcement on three different occasions and continued to engage in his drug trafficking activities, to the detriment of his infant daughter. Huisa appeared to be undeterred following the overdose of his child and continued to engage in the distribution of controlled substances.”
Huisa will likely be deported to Honduras following his prison sentence.
The case was investigated by the Puyallup Police Department, the Auburn Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation (CI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Casey Conzatti.
Members of Tacoma street gang are indicted for drug and gun traffickingRead the Press Release
Seattle – Law enforcement fanned out to some 17 locations in Washington, Oregon, and California, on Wednesday February 4, 2026, making 14 arrests following a wiretap investigation of a drug and gun trafficking organization affiliated with the Black Gangster Disciples street gang, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Lead defendant Kevin Salgado, 27, of Puyallup, Washington, is alleged to have led the group distributing counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax pills, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Some members of the drug trafficking group also conspired to possess firearms to further their drug distribution. Members of the group were heard on the wiretap talking about exchanging drugs for firearms.
“The defendants in this indictment allegedly engaged in a wide range of criminal conduct – pressing narcotic pills for distribution, trafficking firearms and switches to make them machine guns, using those guns to settle scores with rival gangsters,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Neil Floyd. “Ringleader Kevin Salgado allegedly distributed the pills he manufactured in western Washington and across the country through the mail. So far three overdose deaths have been connected to Salgado’s activity.”
“Together with our Homeland Security Task Force, we’ve struck a major blow against violent crime—dismantling a dangerous criminal enterprise and making our communities safer,” said Homeland Security Investigations Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “HSI is relentless in taking down transnational criminal organizations, seizing their drugs, removing their guns, cutting off their money, and bringing their members to justice. Protecting our neighborhoods from illicit activity remains our top priority.”
In addition to Salgado, these defendants are indicted in the case:
Haley Filler, 30, of Puyallup, Washington
Gabriel Tovar, 29, Puyallup, Washington
Kevin Andreas, 28, Puyallup, Washington
Joshua Bailey, 30, University Place, Washington
Tyson Latchie, 28, University Place, Washington
Kahlil Bland, 29, Tacoma
Ian Newman, 29, Yucaipa, California
Edgar Adrian Hernandez, 26, Yamhill, Oregon
Isaac Briones, 24, Sunnyside, Washington
Roman Jackson, 25, Lakewood, Washington
Geeneva Morandarte, 26, Lakewood, Washington
Christian Ericson, 26, Tacoma
Michelle Ford-Jackson, 50, Olympia, Washington
Each of the defendants had different involvement in the drug and gun conspiracy. For example, in March 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the Auburn residence of Gabriel Tovar after seeing social media posts showing him holding high-powered firearms with extended magazines and machinegun conversion switches. Agents seized 11 firearms. Five of them were stolen. They also seized a total of 9 machinegun conversion devices.
Some of the defendants were involved in hacking into drug distribution companies and rerouting shipments of controlled substances so they could sell them on the streets. Searches of iCloud accounts and phones associated with members of the organization indicated Newman and Bland were diverting shipments to an address in Lynnwood, Washington, and later conspired to do the same in Florida.
And another of the defendants allegedly paid kickbacks to a pharmacist in Oregon for filling fake prescriptions for oxycodone and other narcotics. In June 2025, Isaac Briones was arrested in Davenport, Washington where he was picking up a fraudulent prescription of promethazine and codeine.
In all, up until the searches Wednesday, law enforcement seized 38 firearms (nine of which had machinegun conversion devices) and seven were stolen firearms. A lengthy list of narcotics has been recovered including more than four kilograms of methamphetamine, more than two kilos of Phenazepam and seven kilograms of counterfeit oxycodone pills.
On Wednesday alone law enforcement seized 39 firearms and more than 100 “Glock switches” – a part designed to turn a semi-automatic firearm into a machinegun. Law enforcement also seized approximately 887.9 grams of fentanyl pills; 924 grams of fentanyl powder, 355.3 grams of methamphetamine, 557.6 grams of cocaine; 3.5 kilograms of counterfeit oxycodone pills; 236.2 grams of oxycodone pills; and 268.8 grams of Xanax pills.
“DEA will aggressively target anyone who traffics drugs, diverts controlled substances, or uses guns to fuel criminal activity,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This Tacoma street gang flooded our communities with fentanyl, meth, cocaine, and stolen prescription drugs while arming themselves with stolen firearms and Glock switches. DEA will continue working shoulder to shoulder with our federal, state, and local partners to dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations and hold those responsible accountable for the harm they inflict on our communities as we build a Fentanyl Free America and save American lives.”
“This operation and its results are a prime example of what’s possible when agencies collaborate,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “But this type of teamwork is not an anomaly. Every single day, ATF special agents and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to prevent violent criminals from obtaining and using weapons that put lives at risk, and ATF will continue to work alongside our federal, state, and local partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute these offenders and their organizations.”
“Narcotics are destroying lives and devastating communities across the region. Every gram, every pill, and every sale of these drugs has the potential to ruin lives,” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Seattle Division. “Postal inspectors remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop the flow of these deadly drugs through the mail and hold criminals who profit from poisoning our neighborhoods accountable.”
“It’s always a win to get illegal drugs and guns off our streets. Our friends and neighbors are safer today due to the extraordinary efforts of our agents and of our law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “We celebrate our success today, but we know that there’s much work to be done. Together, we are committed to making a continued difference by combatting drug trafficking and the violence that comes with it.”
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
This investigation is being led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with key participation by United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation (CI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agents and Diversion Investigators, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Tacoma Police Department (TPD), Seattle Police Department (SPD).
During the investigation special assistance was provided by Department of State (DoS) Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police Department (SPD), Centralia Police Department (CPD), Northwest HIDTA.
On the day search and arrest warrants were served, these additional agencies provided support: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol (WSP), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), San Bernardino County, California, Probation Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elyne Vaught and Michael Harder.
La Center, Washington man sentenced to ten years in prison for scheme to hack Snapchat accounts to access private images and harass teensRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 32-year-old La Center, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to ten years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for his scheme to access multiple teens’ private photos by posing as a Snapchat tech support person. Dylan Rex pleaded guilty in August 2025 to seven counts of Wire Fraud; seven counts of Computer Fraud; one count of Possession of Child Pornography; and one count of Attempted Enticement of a Minor. Rex was taken into custody at sentencing to being serving his prison term. Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo told him, “For three years, you were acting like a creature. In the end, your behavior caused unimaginable pain for the victims.”
“This defendant is the dangerous stranger lurking on the Internet that every parent fears,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “And he made the deception even worse by posing as tech support to get access to private images. I commend the cyber investigators at the FBI for bringing him to justice.”
“For several years, Mr. Rex deceived his victims by pretending to provide security for their social media accounts. Instead, he used his ill-gotten access to those accounts to steal their personal photos and videos, which he then circulated on the internet,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Even worse, he offered payment to the mother of a child under the age of 10 to sexually abuse the minor child, film that abuse, and send him the imagery. When law enforcement searched Mr. Rex's residence, they uncovered media depicting the mother abusing her minor child along with hundreds of images of child sexual abuse material on multiple devices. He had gone on to distribute some of these images online, inflicting further damage on the victims each time he did. The FBI and our partners will continue to pursue child predators and those who victimize others through the internet so they can be held accountable for their harmful actions.”
According to records filed in the case, between July 2020 and March 2023, Rex defrauded over 170 victims of their private and intimate photos and videos stored in their Snapchat accounts. He would use false phone numbers and false email addresses that made it appear he was a member of the Snapchat tech support team. He would trigger a password reset message to the victim and then ask the victim to provide the six-digit code to assist them in getting back into their account. Once the victim gave up the code Rex locked them out of their account and stole the images he wanted. Many of the images and videos he stole he circulated on the internet, leading to harassment and extortion of the victims.
On March 29, 2023, law enforcement searched Rex’s residence and seized several digital devices. In all agents found more than 600 images of child sexual abuse material on eight different devices.
“What Dylan Rex did was calculated, cruel, and downright depraved. He impersonated a member of Snapchat’s customer support, targeted over 170 victims’ accounts across the country, and stole their photos which were later weaponized against them. To make matters worse, he possessed and distributed child sexual abuse material and even went as far as enticing a young mother into sexually abusing her own child, and documenting that abuse for his own sick gratification,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “With today’s sentence, he’s been held accountable for his crimes, and will be locked away, where he can’t victimize anyone else.”
In asking for the ten-year sentence and 15 years of supervised release prosecutors wrote to the court, “Rex’s sole purpose of hacking into the victims’ Snapchat accounts was to hunt for intimate and sexually suggestive photographs and/or videos of young women that he would in turn share or trade on the internet. Although Rex may not have participated directly in the harassment and intimidation of these victims using their stolen imagery, he undoubtedly contributed to it. His actions created a living nightmare for many of these victims.”
The search of Rex’s devices led to one state court conviction as well. On October 16, 2025, Rex was sentenced to 90 days in custody after pleading guilty to two counts of Voyeurism in Clark County Superior Court. In that case, Rex photographed and filmed victims, including minors, without their knowledge or consent. Rex used a recording device that he placed in a bathroom to capture these images.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elyne M. Vaught.
Skagit County, Washington, man, who threatened two different congresspeople and their staffs, sentenced to six months in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 67-year-old Skagit County, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six months in federal prison for making Interstate threats against two different U.S Congressmen and their staffs, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. In March 2025, Bradley Whaley repeatedly called the offices of congresspeople in Washington DC, leaving threats on voicemail as well as directly with staffers. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said, “Mr. Whaley made multiple threatening calls to offices of two U.S. Representatives… This was part of a dangerous pattern that if left unchecked threatens the democratic process.”
According to records filed in the case in March 2025, Whaley made multiple calls to two different DC offices threatening to kill the congresspeople and their staff. Whaley referenced his second amendment rights and threatened to slit their throats. Whaley left his name and phone number in the voice messages.
Whaley was arrested on March 21, 2025, at the downtown Seattle location where he worked. In the center console of his vehicle was a loaded handgun.
Whaley pleaded guilty on October 31, 2025.
In asking for a one-year sentence, prosecutors noted the incredible increase in threats to members of congress writing, “… over the last several years, there has been an alarming surge in the number of similar threat cases against members of congress, their families, and staff. The number of threat cases increased from 7,501 cases in 2022, to 8,008 cases in 2023, and to 9,747 cases in 2024, according to the United States Capitol Police. In 2025, the number of threat cases investigated by USCPS jumped to about 14,000.”
In his letter to the court, Brad Whaley blamed the threatening phone calls on heavy alcohol abuse. His attorney noted that Whaley has since completed treatment.
Judge Whitehead ordered that he complete three years of supervised release following the prison term.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Yemini.
Former California resident sentenced to prison for defrauding his Kent, Washington employerRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 44-year-old former Laguna Niguel, California resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for wire fraud for his scheme to steal nearly $1 million from his employer, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Paul Joseph Welch was the IT manager of a Kent, Washington energy manufacturing company when he used various schemes to steal more than $950,000 from the company. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said, “This was not a crime of desperation. You used the funds to support a lifestyle you could not afford.”
“Mr. Welch stole nearly $1 million from his company to pay for luxuries such as expensive hotel stays, first class airline tickets, and even a Porsche for his wife as a Mother’s Day gift,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “His theft caused the company to cut staff, reduce or cancel bonuses, and delay projects. These impacts justify this prison term.”
According to records in the case, Welch worked for the company from 2011 to 2024. He was promoted to Information Technology Manager in 2018. As early as 2017, Welch used the company’s Amazon business account to make unauthorized personal purchases from Amazon.com. Between 2017 and 2023, those purchases totaled at least $43,000. Welch primarily purchased electronics such as televisions, laptops and more—all for personal use. In 2019, Welch began using his company credit card for personal purchases through other online retailers such as Apple, Alaska Airlines, Instacart, and BestBuy. Between 2019 and 2024, those unauthorized personal purchases totaled at least an additional $60,000.
The scheme really accelerated in January 2021 when Welch began making payments to himself disguised as payments to a computer services company. Welch created a series of email addresses and payment processor accounts using a business name that was very similar to a legitimate computer services company based in Washington State. Welch then used the company credit cards to pay the computer services company under the guise that the company was providing IT equipment and services to the victim company. However, the legitimate computer services company had no relationship with Welch and never provided any services or equipment to the victim company. The credit card payments Welch made went directly to the payment processor accounts that Welch controlled. Between 2021 and 2024 Welch used this scheme to transfer approximately $879,175 from company accounts to his own accounts.
The victim company tried to verify the legitimacy of Welch’s activity on multiple occasions, but each time, Welch provided false or misleading information to cover up his scheme. When Welch was asked to submit invoices to substantiate his charges, he emailed phony documents designed to look like invoices from the legitimate computer services company. At one point in 2023, an accounting employee at the victim company identified personal purchases on Welch’s company credit card. Welch claimed the charges were inadvertent and said he would repay the company. Welch never repaid the charges and continued to defraud the company through unauthorized personal purchases and more fake vendor charges.
On January 19, 2024, company employees confronted Welch about the charges from the computer services company accounts that Welch controlled. After Welch again claimed that the vendor was a real vendor for the company, the company fired him.
In all, between 2017 and January 2024 Welch secretly made at least 250 fraudulent charges for the third-party vendor he controlled. He made at least 140 unauthorized purchases with retailers using the company credit card and at least 100 fraudulent purchases on the company’s Amazon account. While Welch profited some $950,000 from his theft, the loss to the victim company was approximately $982,520 due to various fees on the transactions.
“As an information technology manager, Mr. Welch held a position of trust with his employer which allowed him access to business accounts and the company credit card," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "Welch betrayed that trust by stealing almost $1 million from the company through years of fraudulent transactions for his own personal gain. Despite being confronted about his illicit expenditures multiple times, Welch disguised his schemes with false documents or by saying he didn’t intend to make the charges. When such theft occurs, the FBI diligently follows the money to ensure fraudsters are held accountable for their crimes.”
Welch agreed to make full restitution to the company.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer.
First defendant in drug trafficking organization dealing in the International District and homeless encampments sentenced to 30 months in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – The first of some 20 defendants charged with trafficking narcotics in Seattle’s homeless encampments and International District was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 months in prison, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Theodore Nation, 36, has been in custody since January 2025. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, Nation had been dealing “to particularly vulnerable and marginalized members of the community.”
“This drug trafficking organization sold addictive substances to some of the most marginalized members of our community – those living in homeless encampments such as “The Jungle” under Interstate 5,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This defendant made his living feeding the addiction of others making it ever more difficult for them to get out of the danger of homeless encampments.”
“As a redistributor, Mr. Nation had a significant role in the Jungle Drug Trafficking Organization which sold dangerous drugs in the homeless encampments near the International District and I-5," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “This organization and others like it fuel the fentanyl crisis in the United States with drugs that all too often prove fatal. FBI Seattle remains committed to working with our partners to combat drug trafficking and violent crime in Seattle and across the state of Washington.”
“In Seattle, our fight for a Fentanyl Free America is not abstract — it’s on the streets,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The fentanyl powder alone seized from this group contained more than 1.7 million potentially lethal doses. Mr. Nation trafficked fentanyl and other deadly drugs in and around our homeless encampments and preyed on the most vulnerable in our community. The DEA, alongside our federal and local partners, is committed to using every enforcement tool at our disposal to shut down fentanyl supply chains, protect public safety, and save lives in Seattle and across the nation.”
According to records filed in the case, the investigation began in November 2023, with the Seattle Police, FBI, and DEA focusing on a drug trafficking organization dealing fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the homeless encampments of Seattle and in drug trafficking areas of the International District at locations such as 12th and Jackson. In the first round of arrests and indictments in January 2025, some of the defendants were arrested with firearms. Using a court authorized wiretap, investigators gathered evidence of the drug trafficking and made arrests and seizures over the course of the investigation. Law enforcement heard intimations of violence on the calls and worked to intervene without tipping off the targets of the investigation.
During the January arrest operation, law enforcement seized 17 firearms and 23 kilos of suspected fentanyl powder.
A second round of indictments and arrests occurred in late May 2025. In this part of the investigation, in March 2025 alone, law enforcement seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin. The street value of the narcotics was nearly $3 million.
In their sentencing memo asking for a 57-month sentence for Nation prosecutors noted the deadly toll of fentanyl. “According to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, 167 people died of fentanyl-involved overdoses in King County in 2020. By 2023, the number of fentanyl-involved overdoses in King County rose to 1,086.2 Although the number of fentanyl-involved overdoses peaked in 2023 in King County, in 2024 there were still 788 fentanyl-involved overdoses and in 2025 there were still 696 fentanyl-involved overdoses.”
The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Investigators also worked with the King County Sheriff’s Office and the Tukwila Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Deering, Alaska, man sentenced to prison for sexual assault of teen seated next to him on flight from Anchorage to SeattleRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 29-year-old Deering, Alaska man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for abusive sexual contact on board an aircraft, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Trayton C. Ballot was arrested on January 15, 2025, when the Alaska Airlines flight he was on arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International airport. Ballot was convicted by a jury on September 10, 2025, following a two-day trial. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, “This is a serious and scary crime with lasting consequences for the victim.”
“The Western District of Washington has received a significant number of reported sexual assaults on aircraft in the last several years,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This sentence should serve as a warning to others who think they can take advantage of a plane’s environment to abuse vulnerable victims. We will take these cases, and take them to trial if necessary, to get justice for victims.”
According to records filed in the case, the 17-year-old victim was flying with her mother and a friend on an overnight flight from Anchorage to Seattle. Ballot was seated in the middle seat in a row near the back of the plane. The victim was in the window seat. Ballot appeared to be asleep but then moved his hand onto the victim’s inner thigh and began rubbing her thigh. The victim, who was asleep, woke up to the touching and removed Ballot’s hand. Two more times Ballot moved his hand onto the 17-year-old’s inner thigh, and she removed his hand. After the third time, the victim lowered her tray table and wedged a stuffed animal under it to protect her lap. Despite those barriers, Ballot moved his hand under the armrest and attempted to place it over the victim’s thigh. The victim pressed down on the stuffed animal to stop the assault and Ballot took his hand away.
The victim typed into her phone that the man seated next to her had touched her and showed the message to her mother who was seated in the row behind her. At her mother’s instruction, the victim notified the flight attendants who moved her to a different seat.
Ballot was arrested when the plane arrived in Seattle.
Speaking in court today, the victim said she was “trapped in a small place where I could not defend myself…. It was predatory – attacking me while I was asleep.”
In asking for a two-year prison sentence prosecutors noted that the unique qualities of air travel require additional vigilance, and a deterrence message. “Sexual assaults on airplanes are a distressingly prevalent risk of modern airline travel…. In several ways, a plane is a uniquely vulnerable environment: passengers are often seated in close proximity to strangers, with little room and few options for removing themselves from unwanted situations; passengers regularly attempt to sleep on planes while sitting next to unknown persons; and outside of a passenger’s immediate neighbors, there is limited visibility and a low likelihood of witnesses, particularly when cabin lights are dimmed.”
Judge Chun ordered Ballot to complete 10 years of supervised release following prison.
“I commend the bravery displayed by this underage victim, and her mother, in speaking up for her safety by reporting this crime to the flight crew," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "Sexual misconduct aboard aircraft is a federal crime, one the FBI investigates and takes seriously. We encourage victims and witnesses to report such crimes to the flight crew; Port of Seattle Police or your local airport police; and the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.”
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Port of Seattle Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn Forstein and Cindy Chang.
One leader of violent home invasion robbery crew pleads guilty to racketeering conspiracy involving robbery, kidnapping, and murderRead the Press Release
Seattle – One of the leaders of an armed robbery crew that carried out a series of home invasion robberies in 2022, today pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy to commit RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Christopher Johnson, 24, faces up to life in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lauren King on May 6, 2026. Under the terms of the plea agreement, both the prosecution and defense will recommend a 25-year prison term.
According to the plea agreement, Johnson admits he was involved in a pattern of violent crimes allegedly committed by codefendant Kevin Thissel, 29, and their co-conspirators. The plea agreement describes how in the summer of 2022, the men targeted certain families for robberies. To create a climate of fear, the robbery crew burst into homes in the middle of the night, dressed in black, claiming to be police, and with guns drawn. They wore masks and used zip-ties to restrain the victims – including children as young as nine. They would steal any valuables they could ransack from these homes. Tragically, they shot and killed one young mother as her 7-year-old child lay next to her in bed.
Each member of the robbery crew had a certain job: identifying potential victims based on social media posts about their wealth or collections; surveilling the target homes; serving as a driver; kicking in the door; corralling the family; holding the victims at gunpoint; and ransacking the homes for valuables. Some of those participating in this violent robbery scheme were juveniles.
The crimes admitted in the Johnson plea agreement include:
- May 24, 2022, the armed robbery of a family in Mount Vernon, Washington.
- May 24, 2022, the kidnapping of a young boy in connection with the Mount Vernon robbery.
- May 24, 2022, attempted robbery on Mercer Island – one robber fired a gun but did not hit one of three victims inside the house.
- May 27, 2022, burglary of an unoccupied Kent, Washington residence.
- June 19, 2022, the attempted burglary of an occupied residence in Kent. One of the residents fired at the robbery crew causing them to flee
- July 14, 2022, the armed robbery of a couple in Burien, Washington.
- July 28, 2022, the armed robbery of a woman in Kent, Washington.
- July 28,2022, the abduction of the victim in the Kent robbery to force her to obtain cash from ATMs.
- August 12, 2022, the robbery of two Kent residents who were locked in a closet while their home was ransacked.
- August 19, 2022, the Everett armed robbery of a couple and their child.
- August 19, 2022, the murder of one of the Everett robbery victims.
Some of the criminal acts described in the plea agreement have not been formally charged. They can be considered by the judge in determining the sentence and for purposes of restitution.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Johnson will plead guilty to second degree murder in Snohomish County Superior Court for the August 19, 2022, fatal shooting of Irah Marcello Sok. Both sides will also recommend a 25-year sentence to run concurrent with the federal sentence. Johnson is asking that the judge recommend he serve his sentence in the Washington State Prison system. However, Judge King can decide whether or not to make that recommendation.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with significant assistance from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, the Mount Vernon Police Department, the Kent Police Department, and the King County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Todd Greenberg and Brian Wynne are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs and Michael Lang worked closely with the Snohomish County Prosecutors Office on investigating and charging this case.